


I Am Songbird, Hear Me Howl.

by Inkblooded_Witch



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Car Sex, Deserved Bloody Death of an OC, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Forbidden Love, Good Parents John Winchester & Mary Winchester, M/M, Omegaverse, Oral Sex, Physical Abuse, Semi-Public Sex, Sex, Shifters, Shower Sex, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-10-21 11:30:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 148,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17641967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkblooded_Witch/pseuds/Inkblooded_Witch
Summary: Jade Chen has spent the entirety of her life trying to keep her head down, for what good it does her. Her family and pack alike only care what she can do for them, nothing more. Otherwise she’s essentially someone to abuse at a whim and pressure into their precise mold. Only a very tightknit group of friends has kept her sane all these years, especially after her parents mated her off. The clock is ticking until she’s shipped off to be a brood mare to an Alpha old enough to be her father. She’s white-knuckling her way through her senior year when the Pack Alpha of none other than the Winchester-Campbell pack moves into town, bringing numerous pack members with him. Despite her initial plan to avoid Dean at all costs, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Written at the request of FeralG3. Rated for language and smut.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FeralG3](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=FeralG3).



> I know, I don’t usually write OC fics, but this was a request I liked the sound of and thought I’d flex a little-used creative muscle. Since most of the chapters are long-ish (you’re welcome), updates shall be posted every other day instead of everyday, to allow for enough time properly vet before posting.
> 
> PSA: More tags might be added as we go and I remember things.

    Jade was quite sure no one else had ever wished their alarm clock would be the thing to wake them up in the morning. Not unless they were having a nightmare. Truthfully only paranoia kept her setting her clock to go off every morning, for all she’d have to turn it off before the grating buzzing could sound. Well, if she was lucky it would, but rarely was she lucky. Whatever god she’d offended, either in this life or some previous one, they didn’t allow her such mercies often.

    Today was not one of those days where she was roused by the need to smack off the buzzing a few feet from her head. Instead today was one of those mornings where Sherman decided to wake her up as he trudged back into their house after his shift at McDonalds. Technically it shouldn’t be over until eight, but when you were the Pack Alpha’s son and the owner was a member of your pack, there was a lot you could get away with.

    Considering he’d asked for the night shift so he wouldn’t have to get up early, he was very bitter about it. So bitter he liked to swing by the family punching bag on his way in from work. Jade’s nose caught his scent when he barged into her room, but she was so tired she didn’t get the chance to fully wake up before he was on her. Literally.

    Sherman flopped onto her small bed, throwing an arm around her and yanking his elbow under her chin in a choke hold. Jade flailed, gasping, fumbling to grasp the arm currently cutting off most of her air. This wasn’t easy, even if she wasn’t the youngest she was still the smallest, even Mindy was taller than her for all it was a mere two inches. But when you yourself barely reached five foot one, you didn’t exactly have many inches to spare.

    “Wakey-wakey little sis,” he sneered in her ear.

    Pleas would get her nowhere. Jade had learned that long ago. She blamed the rude awakening, for all she should be used to it by now, how long she spent wiggling and smacking her brother’s arm in a tap out. That last one only made him tighten his hold, snickering. Only when she went limp, gaze lowered in submission, did he release her.

    Jade coughed as she was dumped unceremoniously onto her floor, Sherman getting to his feet.

    “Better get going on breakfast. Dad’s going to be up soon.”

    Like she needed the reminder. She did manage to dodge the brunt of his idle kick in her direction, but he still grazed her. As she lurched upright and spared a glance for her small, cracked mirror, she could already see a bruise forming on her neck. It’d be gone in an hour, but she still hated it when their early morning wakeup calls left marks. It meant she had to go to school with them, however briefly.

    Jade hurried to the bathroom first, so she wouldn’t run late as she waited in a line that intentionally didn’t hurry. She had speed-prep down to an art, able to get in and out of the bathroom in under ten minutes. From there Jade took precious little time to coordinate what clothes she pulled on, just enough to know they were clean and matched. Granted just about everything in her closet were hand-me-downs, but Mindy was very fashionable and felt the need to reboot her closet once a year, so it wasn’t all that bad. Or it wouldn’t be if Mindy wasn’t far flashier than Jade. She had to take off a lot of rhinestones, glitter, and buckles before she could wear most of it. Today the closest things to hand were a knee length black skirt meant to go over loud leggings, which she eschewed in favor of a plain black pair, and a white shirt Mindy had used to cover whatever outfit that wouldn’t have otherwise passed muster on the way to school. She shoved her feet into sneakers not yet worn enough to warrant a new pair and shrugged into a pre-ripped denim jacket. Seriously, who bought something pre-ripped? Shoes, along with bras and underwear, were the only things they were decent enough to buy for her specifically, if rarely. Even then, if it wasn’t for _Nai-Nai_ she’d be in Mindy’s bras too, for all they were different sizes. It was the one thing Jade might have been proud of if they didn’t cause her so much grief.

    She slid folders of homework into her backpack, thrusting her battered and cracked prepaid phone into her jacket pocket, and ducked out of her room. When they’d moved into this house it had just been a large closet, but they’d put in some Craigslist furniture and turned it into her bedroom. Jade was just glad the thing wasn’t under stairs. She had that much on Harry Potter, her room was nearly twice as big as his had been, she even had a window. A small, rectangular window on ground level that let in cold like you wouldn’t believe, but still a window.

    Jade hurried back up to the first floor, setting her backpack by the back door, then set about making breakfast. That entailed putting a kettle and pot of water on the stove, turning on the coffee pot, dropping two English muffins into the toaster, scrambling twelve eggs, and making fifteen strips of bacon. Fresh, not microwaved. Father hated that already-made bacon. Sherman and Lee just liked the fact it was harder for her to make. Never mind the pancake batter she had gotten very good at whipping up on the fly.

    The coffee pot was gurgling and the kettle was starting to whistle when her father came into the kitchen, dressed for work. Most Pack Alphas didn’t always take full-time jobs unless it was running whatever business their pack ran. While he did run their small pack, which only had twenty members including their family members, he’d taken a job at a local insurance firm since moving to America. Her mother ran a local bridal boutique in town, at which Mindy was a secretary, while Lee somehow managed to not get fired from his Gas ‘N Sip position. Lee didn’t have to be there until eleven, though, so he wouldn’t wake up until ten. Since mother and Mindy had to be at the boutique in an hour, and father had to be at his office before that, they had to leave shortly after Jade slipped out for school. Since her mother and sister liked to eat before they applied their makeup this meant they all demanded breakfast while she was still at home to make it.

    Li Jun came into the kitchen first. Jade paused scrambling the eggs to pour a cup of coffee, slopping in a little cream and giving it a quick stir before passing it into his waiting hand. He took a sip, sinking down into a chair at their kitchen table. Jade took the pan of scrambled eggs off the stove, turning her attention to the pancakes. She slid the third thin pancake off its pan, which had previously been used to cook bacon, onto a plate. Thin, crape-like pancakes that were a more traditional dish than the fluffier variety they favored here in America. She raked the scrambled eggs over them, then added ripped up bacon. The first plate was set before her father, who gave her a disapproving look for the delay before he tucked in.

    Wang Li came in shortly after. Her coffee only got two sugars before it was placed before her along with her plate with a polite bow. Jade wasn’t even graced with a glance, disapproving or otherwise. Her mother simply picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

 _“It’s still a little doughy,”_ she said, nose wrinkling daintily as she chewed her first bite. _“Cook it better next time before serving it to me.”_

    _“Sorry, Mother.”_ If she had a dollar for every time she had to utter those words, in Mandarin or English, she’d have enough money to leave and never look back. Her parent’s English was good, but they preferred using their native dialects at home. It was easier, especially when they were angry, which they often were when they spoke to her.

    The English muffins popped out of the toaster and promptly went onto a plate, thin pats of butter on the inside of the four halves, four soft boiled eggs placed next to them. Jade was pouring water from the kettle over tea leaves when _Nai-Nai_ made her way into the kitchen, steel colored hair in its usual neat bun, dark eyes crinkling in a smile.

    _“Z_ _ǎ_ _oshang h_ _ǎ_ _o_ _,_ _Nai-Nai,”_ Jade said quietly, setting the tea and plate down even before her grandmother could sit down. Her parents found it irritating when she told them good morning, and if she said it to _Nai-Nai_ too loud they took offense.

_“_ _Z_ _ǎ_ _oshang h_ _ǎ_ _o_ _, Li Jing.”_

    The microwave went off as she cleaned the pans she’d used, signaling the leftover steamed buns she was reheating were done. She gulped the last of her orange juice, but before she could get them out Mindy wandered into the kitchen. Jade turned around in time to see her sister open the microwave, then make a thoughtful sound as she took out the plate.

    “Um…Mindy?” she said quietly, one hand lifted halfheartedly. “Those are….”

    “Delicious, thanks,” Mindy said, dropping into her seat. “Where’s my coffee?”

    “If you’re going to eat those, let her eat your pancake if you’re not going to have it,” Nai-Nai scolded.

    No one said anything as Jade poured one more mug of coffee, not adding anything to it. Mindy liked it black. She set it down in front of her sister, then reached for her plate only to get stabbed by her mother’s chopsticks. Jade yelped, yanking her hand back, blood dripping from the two shallow holes in the back of her hand. The look Wang Li was giving her would have curdled milk, radiating disgust as she cleaned the blood off her chopsticks with a napkin.

    _“Don’t touch your sister’s food. I did not raise a greedy pig.”_

    Jade lowered her gaze, reluctantly moving away from the table. _Nai-Nai’s_ eyes narrowed, but there wasn’t much she could do. As an elder she did garner respect, but Omegas didn’t have much power in a traditionally, strictly patriarchal pack. The only reason Wang Li had as much say as she did was because she was mate to the Pack Alpha, and as Betas Jade’s siblings would always outrank her. The only hope she had of having a say in anything was if she was mated to a Pack Alpha, even then she’d only have what they gave her. The curse that was being born an Omega in an Alpha-run world.

    She glanced at the clock, grabbing her backpack from the floor and slinging it over her shoulder as she reached for the door.

    “This crap coffee is lukewarm!”

    Reflexes honed over many long, painful years had her ducking just in time, the mug narrowly missing her head, a few of the shards drawing blood.

 _“Don’t you dare leave that mess here,”_ Li Jun snapped. _“This is my house, I won’t have you disrespect it in such a way.”_

    _“Yes, clean it up before it stains,”_ Wang Li ordered. “ _Make a fresh pot for your sister while you’re at it.”_

    Great. If she didn’t hurry she’d be late. Again. If it was just her Jade wouldn’t mind as much, but Kevin gave her a ride to and from school most days. He’d wait no matter how late she was so she wouldn’t have to shift and run. Though some days that might be a blessing.

    Jade started another, smaller pot of coffee as she swept up the shards with her bare hands, dumping them into the trash. The broken porcelain cut her hands, but it was faster and simpler than getting a dustpan and broom. Besides, she would heal in a few minutes.

    As soon as there was enough in the pot Jade poured coffee into a fresh mug, making it quick so there wasn’t much to fall onto the hot plate. Mindy gave her a dirty look as she snatched the fresh mug, muttering what was probably some unflattering comments under her breath Jade didn’t bother listening to. Likely it was nothing she hadn’t heard before.

    Jade bolted out the back door before they could stall her any more, jogging around the narrow flagstone path and down the driveway. They didn’t like it when what few friends she had tried to help her, so Kevin had to park around the corner. He was waiting when she got there, yanking open the front door and sliding into the passenger seat, dumping her backpack on the floor between her feet.

    “Go!” she blurted, slamming the door.

    Kevin grimaced, taking his foot off the brake, his used hatchback lurching away from the curb. “You okay?”

    “I’m fine.” She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the seat.

    “Sherman wake you up again?”

    Jade made a face. It was the downside of having a friend who was freakishly smart, you didn’t have to tell them much of anything before they figured things out. She’d forgotten about the bruise that was probably an ugly blend of green and yellow by now.

    “Must have actually had to work last night,” she muttered.

    “You can speak up when you’re not at home, remember?”

    She didn’t bother arguing. She was already shy, introverted, something years of pressure and abuse had only reinforced. It took a lot of conscious effort to speak up, in every sense. As it was speaking in a volume much higher than a whisper was unnatural, something her entire pack had reinforced.

    When they pulled up at the first stoplight between home and school Kevin reached into the backseat, passing her a paper bag. “Here. Mom made extra.”

    “Thank you,” she said quietly, gratefully accepting the food. When Kevin noticed she wasn’t eating breakfast very often he’d started showing up with extra food, always with that flimsy excuse. If he didn’t one of her other friends did. They were the only reason she ate lunch more than a few times a week, on the occasions when _Nai-Nai_ wasn’t able to give her something to buy food with. No one in her pack was going to. Even then, there were just as many bullies at school as there were at home.

    Jade mowed her way through three homemade breakfast burritos, fresh scrambled eggs and bacon and cheese wrapped in tortillas, all still warm. Ms. Tran was a good cook. She might push her son as her parents pushed her, but from what Jade could tell she did it right. Kevin actually wanted to be on the debate team and the chess team and the band. He _wanted_ to do all those things, he chose the clubs he joined and the instrument he played. Jade only had a say in things if she could convince her parents it was a good idea and it was all theirs from the beginning.

    “Did they tell you anything else about Morningstar?”

    She made a face, gulping down the last bite of her breakfast. “No. Dad got angry when I asked. I don’t think I’m going to get anything else out of them. Peter told them I was asking around. They…weren’t happy.”

    Kevin winced sympathetically. Peter, like the rest of her pack who’d immigrated from China, answered directly to her parents. They also enjoyed taking full liberties with the designated pack punching bag. She hadn’t gone to sleep until late last night because having cartilage heal was a pain, and she’d had to reset her nose herself. She hadn’t wanted to bother _Nai-Nai_ , but before he’d ratted her out Peter had nearly broken a rib. She’d needed an extra set of hands to make sure it was only cracked. Li Jun had said the nose was a warning, a taste of what would happen if she kept pressing.

    “You sure you don’t want me to do some digging?”

    “No. They’ll find out, they always do.”

    “They won’t. Come on, Jade, let us help you.”

    “You do more than enough.”

    “You have a right to know about this guy.”

    “I’m afraid it doesn’t matter,” she said, shrugging wearily. “If I do find out about him it won’t change anything. They’ve still chosen him, they’ve signed the documents. As soon as I have my heat they’re shipping me off to Lucifer Morningstar.”

    Kevin didn’t look happy about this. Jade wasn’t either, but how she felt about the situation didn’t matter. That much had been made as clear as humanely possible, and then some. She was an Omega, her place was to do as she was told, don’t make eye contact, and only speak if spoken to. The only reason they insisted she finish high school was so they could add a diploma to her list of accolades. Apparently a perfect attendance record and straight-A report card meant more if it was accompanied by the diploma rather than a GED. Just like being in band only meant something if she was first chair, being in the AV club only meant something if she was in charge of it, being on the competitive mathematics team only mattered if she was the captain. She’d practiced until she was sore on that cursed flute to make second chair, never mind first, an accomplishment that still eluded her. But gods forbid she practice at home when she would abuse their ears with the grating sound of her abominable practice songs. The AV club she’d talked them into letting her join because her friends were in it, but they’d only agreed because she convinced them it would allow her to better arrange and promote events for her Alpha in the future. The mathletes were the only easy one, they liked the idea of her being good at math and she was genuinely good at it. Becoming captain had been the easy part, maintaining it was the difficult bit.

    “Did you hear back from Tessa about that chemistry homework?”

    “Yeah, check my bag. Hey, did you get a chance to practice that altered song Mr. Elton gave us?”

    “No,” Jade sighed, taking out Kevin’s chemistry binder, absently tucking a lock of her long hair behind one ear to get it out of the way. “I spent most of the weekend balancing the books for mom. Mindy messed them up again.”

    In addition to being another feather to shove into her cap, they liked to take full advantage of the math skills she applied in mathletes.

    “Why do they let her do them in the first place?” Kevin protested.

    “I don’t know,” she mumbled, comparing his homework to hers, fishing out a pencil to make corrections. There weren’t many, but every point mattered. Especially if it so much as looked like you were going to get a B your parents let the pack hunt you like a rabbit for sport. “I suppose it’s for the same reason they turned down people who were far more qualified for the position.”

    “Right. Hey, remember that pack that’s moving into town?”

    “Mmm-huh,” she said absently, bracing her homework sheet on the dash to carefully etch out the right answer as they drove.

    “Did you get the chance to tell your dad about it?”

    Jade just gave him a deadpan look.

    “Sorry. Someone’s got to, and it doesn’t sound like he pays attention to these things like he should.”

    “He doesn’t. I think mom threw away the meeting letter we got in the mail.”

    “They’re not in China anymore, they can’t do this,” Kevin groaned.

    “If you want to tell them that, you’re welcome to try. Anything that comes out of my mouth is either wrong or disrespectful, remember?”

    “Even in China you had to do things a certain way. Shifters are Shifters.”

    “So you’ve said.”

    “I thought he tried _not_ to offend people.”

    “Only if he thinks they’re powerful enough for offending them to be bad. Otherwise he doesn’t care. Just wait, this will turn bad and it will be my fault.”

    It had actually started to impress her, the logistical acrobatics they did to make it her fault all the time every time. Kevin was right, there was a way to do things, and Shifter politics could get very bloody very quickly. That was the whole reason they’d left China in the first place, there were thousands upon thousands of individual packs all out to make a name for themselves or simply survive. If you weren’t keeping your head down and kissing strategically chosen shoes you were fighting turf wars. So her parents had spent their life savings and _Nai-Nai’_ s to move their small pack to America. She and her siblings had all been born here, in Lawrence, Kansas. The first generation of American-born citizens in their family. If her brothers and sister paid attention they might have warned their parents themselves, but then they’d never had much care for reality. So until then, the extensions of good faith and introductions from the pack moving into town would go ignored. This was doubly rude, since the new pack didn’t have to reach out in the first place, but to do so was considered a gesture of respect. To have that not just refused but ignored was a blatant slap in the face. Considering Li Jun stressed how much they needed to build rapport with American packs, build bridges, relationships to benefit them, he was quite literally shooting himself in the foot. Especially when you took into consideration just who this new pack was.

    Only when she was stowing the corrected homework did Jade ask, “When are they moving in?”

    “They already did, last week. Me and mom went to see them over the weekend.”

    “Oh.” Perhaps the hammer would descend sooner than she’d anticipated. “Was it nice to see them again?”

    Kevin’s face softened as he smiled. “Yeah. It’ll be good having them around again. They’re starting school tomorrow, I can introduce you.”

    “No, it’s fine.”

    “You sure?”

    “Yes.”

    Kevin only sighed as that last word came out as more of a squeak. At least he didn’t belittle her for her crippling shyness. It wasn’t like she’d asked for this, she didn’t enjoy it, she just…was.

    Besides, Jade liked her small, tightknit circle of friends. She didn’t see the need to add to it, or worse, add to her tormentors by making a fool of herself at introductions. Regardless of how highly Kevin thought of them, she wasn’t about to take that gamble. Gambles never worked out for her. Ever. She was just trusting what Kevin had told her, that they really were good people and she would get along really well with them. If Jade didn’t need normal attention, she certainly didn’t need the attention of one of the largest packs currently in existence.

    The moment Kevin parked outside the school Jade heaved open her door, climbing out. Tessa met them halfway to the doors, passing Jade her flute case. She had one at home, a battered second-hand thing for the rare occasions they decided they wanted her to practice at home, but this concert flute was her primary instrument. One she didn’t dare bring where her siblings could tamper with it, or worse, destroy it. Renting it from the school was cheaper than buying one, so naturally they did that, but they promised hell if something should happen to it. Whether she was the one to actually do the damage never factored into it. As much as she hated the damn thing, the last thing she needed was to provide them with yet another reason to rough her up on a silver platter. If they’d let her choose what instrument she was to play, Jade would have chosen the guitar or the piano. Something you could play while you sang. You could hardly sing and play a flute at the same time, but then that was one of the reasons her parents had chosen it for her.

    “Thanks. Oh, and you misspelled viscosity. I fixed it on Kevin’s, but you should check yours.”

    “I did?” Tessa protested, shrugging her own bag off her shoulder to fish out her copy of the homework.

    “You spelled it like it was vasectomy.”

    Kevin snorted as Tessa grumbled, grimacing and bracing her paper against a locker to fix it.

    “Thanks, anything else?”

    “No, you’re good. Thanks for letting me barrow it.”

    “Sure, sure. Hey, when’re the new guys going to get here? I’m dying for some fresh faces.”

    “You’re going to have to wait until tomorrow, like the rest of us,” Anna quipped, brushing by them and tossing a bottled protein shake into Jade’s hands. “Drink up. See you in homeroom.”

    Considering how often they didn’t feed her, Jade wondered how her family didn’t seem to think anything of the fact she wasn’t deathly underweight. If her very close, very dear friends didn’t feed her during the week she’d be a walking skeleton. She never asked them to, but she was forever grateful they did. Shifters had very high metabolisms, an active one needed at least double the daily caloric intake of your average human, more so for Alphas, but that didn’t mean Omegas didn’t have similar needs. It was something of a tradeoff, considering they also had above average human strength, speed, and stamina, running hotter than their human counterparts in a very literal sense. Well, Betas and Alphas did. Omegas did too, but even though her normal temperature was a toasty 101.2 Jade still tended to get cold. Kevin did too, so did Tessa and Samandriel, so she knew it was normal, but she still found it irritating.

    Jade checked her hands once she’d slid into her desk in homeroom, glad to see the cuts on her fingers were completely healed. Thank gods, playing a flute with bloodied fingers was a real bitch. She’d gotten over how sad it was she knew that from experience.

    No, the last thing she needed in her life was the additional drama of getting involved with a new pack. There were a few other Shifters in town, a pack of coyotes no larger than the Chen pack, a few cougars, a few bears on the town’s outskirts, a handful of single-family packs of wolves like the Tran’s, all of whom were on vaguely good terms with each other. It didn’t matter just how big this Winchester-Campbell pack was, didn’t matter that their Head Alpha was moving into town with his family and close members of the pack. Jade had enough problems without potentially adding even more. She was glad Kevin’s surrogate family was moving back into the same area as him, but she’d be keeping her distance.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    As it turned out it didn’t matter that Jade had corrected her homework that day. Ruby’s latest lay had apparently broken things off before she was done with them, so she’d taken it out on Jade. This time she’d dumped her entire backpack in the toilet while Jade herself was thrown head first into the next stall. Three tiles cracked at the point of impact. At least the teacher was nice enough to let her redo the homework, so long as Jade did so during lunch under her watchful eye. She ended up scarfing down what Ms. Tran had sent for her between the next two class periods.

    After school things only got slightly better. She and Samandriel spent most of it recording the journalism club for Wednesday’s Hump Day broadcast and started editing the footage. After that she had a mathletes, which had once been her haven. It hadn’t been this year, not since Alistair had moved into town. There were rumors, like he’d been kicked out of military school, he’d been banished to live with some hard-ass uncle since his parents couldn’t handle him, he’d signed a deal so he couldn’t get sent to prison for crimes no one could agree on, the list seemed endless at times. All Jade cared about was that the Alpha skeeved her out and he was a very sore loser. He was a half decent mathlete, so he’d been allowed on the team, but he seemed to take it very personally that she, an Omega, was simply better than he was.

    Jade caught a ride home with Tessa, who was on the team with her and Kevin. But like Kevin she dropped her off half a block away so no one in the pack could snitch. She walked through her front door only to have a mountain of laundry dumped on her while the pack went out for a run. Sometimes they’d let Shifters go for a short run during school, during gym period, but they hadn’t today. Jade hadn’t been able to run in almost a week, her wolf was getting antsy, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. They didn’t like it when she ran on her own, something about it being too ‘dangerous’ for an Omega to go on a run without an escort. Like many of their rules they didn’t make sense to her, but then they didn’t have to. She’d have to ‘study’ at Kevin’s house tomorrow or something if they didn’t let them run at school. Much like her flute skills they neither noticed nor cared that their restrictions severely hampered her skills and sanity, but nor did they punish her when her stability and skill contradicted them. Either they were genuinely so foolish or they thought she was special. Not in a good way, though. She was never anything in a good way.

    By the time they got back she had dinner on the table and the laundry was in the dryer. Afterward she had to clean the kitchen, fold and stow the laundry, and do her homework before she allowed herself to fall into bed in an exhausted sleep. Considering the average Shifter needed a few more hours of sleep than the average human, Jade somehow managed to get by on the scant six she could scrape together on any given night. Four on the days before tests or if there was a particularly large load of homework. Or, gods forbid, they decided some chore needed to be redone to their satisfaction. On the days she’d stumbled into school having not slept at all it was because of that last one.

    Sherman must have had a better night at work, he only flopped down on top of her the next morning rather than wrestle her off the bed or put her in a choke hold. On the days where he’d been sent home early he had a bad habit of jumping onto her bed feet-first or smothering her with her pillow. At least Lee hadn’t been home at the same time as her these days, he had fewer opportunities to harass her and bully her. It was just as well, he tended to be more creative than Sherman. On a good day, or a bored one, Mindy was only petty. On a day when she decided to put actual effort into things she could be even worse than their brothers.

    Jade dozed through most of the twenty-minute drive to school, after making quick work of that morning’s offerings courtesy of Ms. Tran. As they made their way towards the main building an unusual amount of activity on the far side of the parking lot caught Jade’s attention. It always got more attention when new Shifters moved into town, but a pack like the Winchester-Campbell Pack? It was the least of what was expected.

    “You _sure_ you don’t want me to introduce you?” Kevin asked as they pushed through the side doors.

    “Absolutely positively.”

    “I’m not,” Anna protested, brushing by them and hooking her arm through Kevin’s. “Come on, introduce me.”

    “You’re not the one who needs to get out of her shell,” Kevin protested as he was dragged back outside. “You need to get back into your shell more often!”

    Jade cracked an indulgent smile, shaking her head. No, Anna did not share her introverted nature in the least. Sometimes she envied her friend that. But then she’d decide that would just make the target she seemed to have on her back even larger and that envy would evaporate.

    She dropped by the AV room to do a little more editing with Samandriel before they hurried to homeroom. Today was marginally better, she was able to dodge Ruby who was still fuming about being the dumpee rather than the dumper for a change. She also felt very good about the pop quiz in chemistry, despite the artillery being aimed her way through most of it. Apparently Bela didn’t feel quite as sure of herself and directed her ire at Jade rather than attempt to salvage the quiz. There was no way she could have done the latter considering how many spitballs were aimed her way.

    Best of all, Coach Uriel announced that all humans would be spending gym playing basketball, while all Shifters would be allowed to go for a run. Jade shivered as she felt her wolf howl in delight, mincing in excited circles, eager to get out and stretch her legs. She barely noticed when Kevin hung back, didn’t bother to stop and ask why. The moment Coach Uriel motioned for them to get going she was sprinting for the gym doors with the rest of them. She wasn’t the fastest any more than she was the strongest, but a properly motivated Shifter could really move if they so chose.

    Generally it was frowned upon to allow teenage Shifters to run rampant over an uncontained area of land, but Coach Uriel happened to be one of the local bear Shifters. Even a teenage Alpha with zero self-control wasn’t stupid enough to screw with a Kodiak. It was excellent motivation to get back in time to change back out and get to your next class on time.

    Jade barely made it out of the yard gates before her wolf couldn’t take it anymore, erupting midstride with a howl of glee. Just changing form was a surge of relief. The feeling of earth and grass under her paws, the wind in her fur as she ran for the trees, hearing the thunder of paws all around her as everyone else shifted, the surge of scents to a nose far more sensitive to her own…gods how she’d missed this.

    As much as she reveled in these runs, they came infrequently enough she often handed the reins over completely. Let her wolf run and frolic as she pleased while it lasted, so long as she didn’t hunt. Hunting down something like a deer for a snack then shifting back to human immediately after was ill advised, as your stomach tended to shrink. Most Shifter families had to get a large freezer unit when they had pups because it took time for them to get a good hold of their instincts when they first started shifting in earnest. Many a Shifter pup had slunk home with half-eaten prey that they hadn’t been able to resist.

    Thankfully hunger currently took a backseat to the need to _run._ To revel in the outdoors and finally being on all fours. Her wolf bounded around for a few miles, slowing down a bit as the initial itch was scratched. She leapt over a narrow stream, scrambled up a rocky ridge and crossed a meadow, stopping to roll in a bed of wildflowers to her hearts content. Jade sighed contentedly, gladly sitting back to let her wolf take over. She drifted in a semi-conscious state, only aware of the overall joy radiating from her wolf and keeping vague tabs on where they were going. As long as they went back in time to not have Coach Uriel come after them, she didn’t care.

    Jade knew most people liked to run side-by-side with their beasts, but she’d decided some time ago that she couldn’t have that luxury. Not if she also wanted to retain her sanity. They had specialized Shifter prisons, with Shifter guards and monitored shifts three days a week. Even incarcerated felons had more rights than she did. Yet another thing she tried not to think about.

    Her wolf eventually began circling back, reluctantly heading back towards school and all its torments. Jade was still drifting, enjoying the overall sense of peace and wellbeing she rarely got to relish. They’d caught an interesting scent, a new one. One of the new Shifters perhaps? Kevin _had_ said they weren’t all wolves. She’d never scented this breed before. It was feline, she was sure, but not cougar. She’d never met any other feline Shifters so she couldn’t tell.

    Both she and her wolf were trying to pick out just what it was they were smelling, paying just enough attention to their running so as not to fall on their face, when they ran straight into something. Something big and furry and hot and definitely not a tree. Even as she went sprawling, tumbling nose over tail to land on her side in the grass, Jade wished dearly she had run into a tree.

    Her wolf scrambled, getting them belly down on the ground only to freeze before they could stand. Jade hurridly tumbled into the proverbial driver’s seat alongside her wolf, gaping at the two sets of very large paws planted in the grass ten feet from her nose. Slowly, heart pounding like a jackhammer against her ribs, Jade looked up…and up, and up four long, muscled legs. Legs that led to a barrel of a chest with muscle clearly visible even under a dense coat of glossy, sandy brown fur. The same could be said for their haunches and neck. How could even a neck be muscled?

    Eventually Jade made it to the wolf’s face, which she normally wouldn’t do. Eye contact and submissiveness were hardly synonymous, but in her defense she was in shock. Something that didn’t get any better when she made it that far only to meet a pair of crimson eyes.

    Oh gods, red. Red eyes. Alphas had red eyes.

    Those eyes were narrowing as the Alpha stared down at her. Suddenly she had no trouble moving again. Just as soon as Jade could get her legs under her she was off like a shot, bolting away from the irked Alpha as fast as her paws could carry her.

    She was still sprinting when she burst into a clearing surrounding the school, half tripping over her own limbs as she struggled to slow down. Jade stumbled into a walk, sucking in deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down. It was fine, he hadn’t followed her. If she’d really angered the Alpha he’d decided she wasn’t the trouble. A nice change, to say the least.

    Jade waited until others were trickling in to reluctantly join them. It occurred to her as she minced passed the baseball field that she hadn’t seen Kevin. Or Samandriel, for that matter. They usually ran together on days like this. Where were they?

    There was no sign of them even as the bell signaling the class’s end buzzed gratingly over the PA system. Reluctantly Jade sank back into her smaller, two-legged self. Her wolf didn’t even fight it anymore, as much as they both hated this.

    Her limbs felt pleasantly warm and loose as she made her way back to the changing rooms, taking her things out of her locker and slipping into a bathroom cubical. Not so much because she was embarrassed, more because she was an easier target if she didn’t. She’d gotten shoved into the outer halls in nothing but her underwear one too many times. That last time they’d even locked her out.

    Jade was going to put her gym clothes back into her locker when Ruby and Bela rounded the corner, covered in dust and twigs and grass and bits of leaves. She dropped her eyes, shoulders hunching as she hurridly twisted her combination. She couldn’t make out what they were talking about, though she doubted it really required that much giggling.

    She almost made it, too. She’d traded her gym clothes for her books, closing her locker and twisting the dial back to zero, and she had her eye on the door. Jade was ten feet from it when Ruby said, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

    Jade froze, but when she tried to bolt the Beta grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her back, throwing her into the lockers. “What do you want?” she asked, not raising her gaze, even showing her neck in hopes it might placate Ruby. Or at least make whatever was about to happen not quite so bad.

    “What I want to know is why, when we finally tracked down that hot piece of Alpha, we picked up your scent. Huh?”

    She stared blankly up at Ruby, trying to figure out if she was serious. No, Ruby looked genuinely angry. So did Bela. “I-I’m afraid I don-don’t understand.” The words came out far softer and weaker than she’d intended.

    That got her slammed into the lockers a second time. More bruises for the collection, then.

    “Of course you don’t,” Bela scoffed. “See? I told you it was an accident. I can’t believe you were worried about this pathetic little bitch. This mouse couldn’t even look an Alpha in the eye, much less talk to one. And never one like that.”

    Ruby made a face, thrusting Jade away from her hard enough to send the smaller wolf to the locker room tile. Jade took the opportunity, scrambling to her feet and bolting out the door as the warning bell rang. The halls were clearing out already, which meant there were far fewer people to fight her way through, but her next class was calculus. All the way on the far side of the school and on the third floor. Sometimes she barely made it even without interference. What few tardy’s she had this year were for this class, specifically due to Ruby and Bela.

    Jade broke into a sprint was she was in the main hallway, taping into that handy dandy Shifter speed in an effort to not add another tarty to her rap. One more and she’d have detention, which would mean no breakfast or dinner for three days if her parents found out. She flew across worn linoleum, skidding around a corner and bursting through a side door into the east stairwell. There were wider, more centrally located stairs, but those tended to be more crowded and this one was closer to her classroom.

    She took the stairs two at a time, sneakers smacking against the cement steps as she hurled around the narrow landings, footsteps and rapid breaths echoing in her own ears, the tall cement walls making them seem all the louder. Jade was in such a hurry she never looked up, more concerned with her own feet in an effort to keep from tripping. It had happened before, and she didn’t want it to happen again. Not now, anyway.

    Because she never looked up, she didn’t notice the person on the third-floor landing until she was on top of them. Literally. The Omega ran straight into a wall of muscle radiating heat for the second time that day, yelping as she was thrown backwards, books and pencil bag flying from her hands. She flailed, her own feet trying to put distance between herself and what her nose told her was an Alpha. A very strong Alpha. Jade didn’t realize this as a mistake until her back hit the low bar that made up the stair’s rail, her arms pinwheeling in thin air in a futile attempt to keep her balance. Jade caught sight of a blur of brown and gray right before her vision was filled with florescent light strips and chipped beige paint. The rail was biting into her back at an angle, but between her momentum and loss of balance she wasn’t just running into it, she was going over it.

    It happened so fast Jade had no time to try saving herself, mouth falling open in a yelping shriek as she felt herself tumble over that metal rail.

    As quickly as it started, her fall was stopped. Jade gasped as something grabbed her leg, arms floundering, staring down three stories to the cement floor below before jerking her gaze away. She looked up, eyes bulging when she realized the person she’d ricochet off of was bending over the rail, one hand wrapped around her calf. A strangled sound left her throat as the tall Alpha lifted her clear of the rail with that single hand, catching her arm with his free hand so he could flip her upright again and plop her down onto the landing. He did this on her own two feet, but her knees gave out the moment he let go and she collapsed onto dirty concrete, staring up at him with a mix of awe and no small amount of fear.

    Whoever this was, he was obviously very strong. More so than any other Alpha Shifter she’d ever met. She might not be very big herself, but he’d still lifted her by her foot, above his head, in slow, deliberate movements. With one arm. He was wearing ratty jeans and a gray t-shirt under a brown plaid shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. They did a decent enough job of obscuring most of him, but it was still very obvious the tall Alpha was broad shouldered and very muscular. Now that she thought about it, he also smelled like a wolf. He smelled like _that_ wolf. The one she’d spent a good twenty minutes running away from.

    Gulping, Jade reluctantly raised her gaze to look him in the face. She was screwed anyway, right? Might as well get a look at him before it went farther downhill.

    She could see why Ruby had been upset. He was very easy on the eyes. If it wasn’t for the blatantly Alpha scent and a physic that many would kill for she might think him a little too pretty to be one. The short cut light brown hair confirmed it. Yep, definitely the wolf. His eyes were green in this form. And he had freckles. Wait, his lips were moving. He was talking. Oh dear.

    Quickly dropping her gaze again, Jade glanced around and fumbled to gather her scattered things. “I-I’m sorry, I…I did-didn’t catch-catch- what-what-what did you say?”

    The Alpha sank into a crouch, reaching over to pick up her calculus binder and her worn purple pencil case. The panic-induced ringing in her ears finally died down enough she heard what he was saying this time. “I just asked if you were okay. You were really booking it up those stairs. Can’t believe you almost went over the edge.”

    “I’m-I-I-I’m fine,” she mumbled, biting her lip. She _hated_ it when she stammered. It came out every time she was truly rattled, without fail, and had been a favorite teasing point. See what it took to get Jade to stammer and make fun relentlessly once she did.

    He picked up her textbook before she could grab it. It had fallen the farthest, landing pages-down on the floor. He flipped it shut, then checked the cover before handing it back to her. “Are you in Ms. Mortem’s class? Calculus?”

    Actually Ms. Mortem preferred Billie, but that didn’t change the answer so Jade nodded. She just knew she’d start stammering again so keeping her mouth shut seemed like the safer route.

    “Awesome. Please tell me you know where it is. I can’t find 333 anywhere and I’ve been all over this damn floor twice.”

    Jade blinked at that, taken aback. Even more surprising than his words was the hand he extended down to her as he straightened upright. The last time someone had done that they’d yanked it away at the last minute. But…he’d seemed nice so far. He hadn’t had to help her any more than he’d had to save her.

    Deciding she had little else to lose, Jade timidly reached up to put her hand into his, calluses rough against her palm. Long fingers wrapped around hers, which suddenly seemed tiny in comparison, and in one fluid movement she was pulled all the way to her toes. Jade’s gaze jerked back up to his face as he dropped her hand. She wrapped both arms around her things, taking a shuffling step back, nervous fingers shoving elbow-length hair behind her ears.

    “I-I um, yes, I-I-I’m in- I have Bill-Bill-Billie for cal-calculus.”

    “Billie?”

    “She-she prefers…not-not Ms. Mortem. Some-someone shuff-shuffled the number-number-number plaques. They-they haven’t gotten to f-fix them- “

    She cut off, eyes widening as the bell rang. Class was starting. She was late. She was going to get detention.

    A sound that was far too much like a squeak for her liking slipped from her lips as Jade pivoted, lunging for the door, wrenching it back and dashing into the hallway. She was vaguely aware of the heavy feet following her, but that wasn’t her primary concern at the moment. The Omega sprinted the last few feet to room 333, bursting through the door only to stop cold as every single set of eyes turned to her. All eighteen of her peers plus Billie, staring in judgmental silence as first she then the Alpha came through the door. Her heart leapt into her mouth before plunging through the floor.

    “Ms. Chen, good of you to join us. Mr. Winchester. You’re late.” Pointing to a desk against the far wall, one of two not taken, she said, “The seat taken on the first day is the one you have for the remainder of my class. No moving, no switching. But since it is your first day, and Wilber hasn’t gotten around to fixing the room numbers yet I’ll let this one slide. Ms. Chen, I’m afraid you don’t have any excuse.”

    Jade felt her legs go wobbly. This was it, she was screwed. From the smug looks on more than one classmate there was no way her parents wouldn’t know by the time she got home.

    “Actually it’s my fault she’s late,” the Alpha interjected. “I was chasing my tail up here, she’s the only reason I found this place. Can’t you just write the numbers on the walls or something?”

    Billie arched a single brow at that. “No, I’m afraid the principle considers that one more act of vandalism we don’t need. Fine, just don’t make either of you late again. Take your seats. You’ve wasted enough class time.”

    Stunned, Jade hurriedly shuffled to her seat in the back corner, secured on the first day. That was it? She was off the hook, just like that? As much as she liked Billie, the Beta prided herself on being tough but fair. No one was exempt from any rules, even the students she liked. But then, Jade had never had an Alpha vouch for her before. As she slid into her seat she peeked through a curtain of hair over at him as he folded himself into the last remaining desk. Had she really run from him before? Yes alright he was very big, very strong, but he wasn’t really that frightening.

    Then she noticed the looks Ruby and several others were giving her, Betas and Omegas alike. Jade shrank into her seat, focusing her attention on her paper as she started taking notes. She froze midway through dating the paper when it finally hit home what Billie had said. Winchester. Billie had called the Alpha Mr. Winchester. From what Kevin had told her, the only Mr. Winchester this could be was Dean Winchester. Firstborn of John and Mary Winchester, considered to be one of the strongest and most formidable Alphas in North America for all he still wasn’t out of high school yet. The rumors were varied and often vicious, for all Jade was more inclined to believe her friend, who’d lived with them for a time.

    Perhaps he hadn’t changed as much as Jade had feared. Yes she would likely have an even bigger target on her back now, if the dark looks she was getting was any indication, but…Dean had been kind to her. Gentle. He’d lifted her one-handed in a somewhat awkward position, but he hadn’t been rough with her. Just the opposite. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had handled her and not left a bruise.

    Maybe she’d take Kevin up on that introduction after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80! *accepts cookies, feeds more*

    After calculus came lunch, which Jade almost looked forward to. Ms. Tran had made some of her famously infamous five alarm curry last night, and she sent enough with Kevin for both him and Jade to partake. It was one of the few things no one would steal from her, because the one time someone had they’d taken one bite and run to the nearest water fountain. It was something she and Kevin had first bonded over, their love of spicy foods, not that she got to enjoy them so often.

    It was the only time of day she didn’t have to fight the stream of students, just let them carry her along. When Jade made it to the cafeteria she glanced around, only to balk when she saw Kevin waving at her from a table. A very full table. A very full table with lots of new faces. Nope. Nope, nope, not happening, nope. Jade did not do meet and greets.

    She turned right around, wiggling back through the crowd and popping back out into the hallway. She began skirting the wall of lockers, grimacing as she was jostled into them a few times while she swam upstream. It was much slower going when you fought the current. That was what she blamed for Kevin being able to catch up to her so quickly.

    “Hey, where’re you going?” he protested, grabbing her arm when he was close enough.

    By then things were thinned enough they weren’t pressed against the lockers, and he was able to corner her against the door of a janitor’s closet. Jade pressed her back against it, folding her arms uncomfortably. “Who are those people?” she protested. “I told you, no introductions.” Her reconsideration had been for one-on-one’s only, thank you very much.

    “It’s fine, I don’t know what you’re worried about. They’re like family.”

    Jade grimaced. Yes, wolves tended to be very social creatures. They were big on physical contact, lots of hugging and a general lack of personal bubbles, adopting those they approved of into their family circle. For all she knew the Tran’s were a bit more choosy than most in this regard, ergo a vouch from Kevin held a great deal of weight…there were still a lot of them. She’d counted five in addition to their usual circle. That was a lot. Or at least it was for her.

    “I know that, but…do I really have to meet them all at once?”

    “You know what? Yes you do. Come on, it’ll be good for you. As your friend I’m doing my duty and dragging you out from under your rock. They’re good people, trust me.”

    “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Jade protested. Kevin wasn’t kidding, he was quite literally dragging her back towards the cafeteria, her shoes skidding on the floor when she didn’t keep up. “I do, real-really, I-I just…there-there’s a la-lot of them.”

    Kevin slowed a little, giving her a sympathetic look when they reached the cafeteria doors. “Hey, it’s okay. You can trust ‘em. Even the Alphas can be really laid back. Don’t you trust me?”

    Jade’s shoulders slumped. She hated it when he pulled that card. “Yes, I tru-trust you,” she promised, deflated.

    “Besides, you won’t get any of Mom’s curry until you at least wave at them.”

    “You’re mean,” Jade grumbled, letting herself be pulled through the tables until they reached the stomach-churningly full one. She let Kevin push her down onto one of the seats, not bringing her eyes above the table’s surface. Her nose twitched, picking up traces of strange wolves amid the flurry of other scents that filled a cafeteria, but unable to pin down who was who.

    “Jade, this is Garth, Benny, Andrea, Meg, and Castiel.” He worked his way down the table’s other side, naming each of his foster siblings in turn with obvious pride. “Guys, this is Jade.”

    He poked her between the shoulder blades, so she obediently raised a hand for a robotic wave and a weak, “Hi.”

    “Hey! Nice to meet you. I think you’re the only one I haven’t seen yet. Do we have different classes?”

    “Ease up, Garth,” sighed Benny. “She’s spooked enough as is.”

    Aside from overzealousness they weren’t off-putting so far, and the calming drawl from the next Shifter down made it easier to drag her gaze up a little from the table. She was met with a skinny looking guy with an eerie resemblance to Ichabod Crane sitting across from her, beaming broadly, practically radiating cheerful friendliness. Emboldened, she started moving down the line. Benny inclined his head politely, then went back to his food. It was hard to tell without his scent to confirm it, but she had a feeling this bearded Alpha might be the bear Kevin had mentioned. A female with olive toned skin and dark hair sat next to him, half leaning against him as she went back and forth with Anna about some show or another they were both watching. Beyond her was a slender Omega not much bigger than Jade herself with a mass of black curls, painted lips curling in a bemused smirk.

    “Ignore Garth. We all do.”

    “Hey,” protested said wolf, miffed.

    “Do they just mix paste for this stuff or are there any actual potatoes in here?” Meg continued, poking at the lumpy pile of mashed potatoes on her tray. Shifters were allowed double portions, but that only meant something if you could eat the food in the first place. “Please tell me some of their food is edible.”

    “Some of it,” Jade echoed softly.

    The last person in the line of newbies was picking up what was meant to be a slice of pizza. His eyes were eerily blue, his hair just as black as the female’s next to him and far shorter for all it was no more tamed. When he spoke, it was with a voice Jade would have expected from a barrel-chested pack-a-day smoker somewhere in their sixties, not a teenager she guessed to be an Alpha. “I love pizza, but this is blaspheme. Why is there so much grease? It’s all soggy. What, did they pour it on before serving?”

    “The meat’s edible, Clarence,” Meg sighed, stabbing at her own chicken. “We’ll just outsource from now on. Think you can sweettalk Dean-o into making us lunches?”

    That earned her a raised eyebrow. “Once he sees this travesty I don’t think that will be necessary.”

    “Where is Dean?” Kevin asked, frowning as he pushed a thermos of milk over to Jade. There was one for him, too. They were going to need it.

    “I think he was gonna track down Charlie. She forgot her cut of the lunch money,” Benny supplied helpfully. Unlike the rest of them, he didn’t seem to have any qualms about just shoveling down whatever was on his tray.

    “If we warn her she can hit the vending machines,” Andrea noted, sniffing a carrot before taking a bite. It must have passed muster, if barely, because she proceeded to eat the rest.

    “There she is. Hey, there’s Dean too,” Kevin said, standing up from his seat.

    Jade’s ears had pricked up at the mention of Dean. Intense Alpha or not, at least she’d met him before. And he didn’t seem that bad. Much like the rest of them, actually. Jade didn’t take to people right away, she needed time and gradual exposure. Kevin had taken nearly a week before she was comfortable around him, Anna over a month. But it had been worth it. Perhaps it would be the same with them.

    She followed Kevin’s gaze as he started walking towards the cafeteria doors, only to freeze. One wall was lined with windows, three sets of double doors placed at either end and the middle. A girl about their age with red hair had seen him and waved, but before she could reach the middle set of doors someone stepped in front of her. Jade stiffened when she recognized Alistair and his followers. He had a small gang of buddies who were all just as sadistic as he was, all believing they were far better than the rest of the student body at, well, everything. They would have gotten along with her siblings swimmingly.

    Jade had hoped having such a large pack would be suitable protection. Perhaps not. She shrank into her seat sympathetically as they started to circle Charlie. She knew their tricks, they’d start pushing her back and forth between them, sometimes hitting the wall by ‘mistake’. If she had anything on her, a bag or books or even car keys, it would be swiped and a game of keep away would begin. Inevitably whatever they stole would end up in the toilet, in a garbage can, on a roof, sometimes in a tree. They could be creative when they so chose.

    To her dismay Kevin started marching towards them, shoulders tense. Then he froze, going ridged. Jade followed his gaze, towards the door on the far side, close to the library. Her breath caught when she saw Dean pull it open, stepping over the threshold. He scanned the cafeteria, spotted their table, and smiled as he lifted a hand in a wave. But then he saw Kevin, looking back and forth between him and Charlie. Then he saw Charlie. Saw the Alphas shoving her into the glass hard enough it rattled, ripping her backpack from her shoulder, holding it aloft.

    It happened so fast Jade almost couldn’t keep up. One moment his expression was friendly, the next it was set in stony, angry lines, eyes flaring solid Alpha red. He turned, movements a blur as he grabbed the door and yanked it open hard enough the handle bar chipped paint as it slammed back into the wall, sprinting the stretch of uncrowded sidewalk to reach the oblivious Alphas. They had no idea what hit them.

    The first Alpha, who’d been the one to push Charlie into the window, was the first target. He was picked up by his scruff and flung unceremoniously through that same window, glass shattering, students screaming and scattering as the Alpha landed on a table twenty feet from the wall. Said table broke under the impact, dropping him to the floor in a shower of glass, fake wood, and half eaten lunches.

    Jade couldn’t keep up with everything after that, but the remaining seven Alphas had apparently noticed Dean and tried to defend themselves. It was a very poor effort, from what she could tell. There might be more of them, but they were outmatched. Not that they noticed it, or if they did they were too proud to retreat.

    The first went down after one failed attempt at a punch. Dean didn’t even break stride, half turning so the wild punch missed his ear by nearly a foot and delivering two quick blows of his own. The first went directly into Jake’s solar plexus, the next into his jaw when he started to double over. He was unconscious before he hit the cement. Apparently the next Alpha tried to mimic this technique, but he never landed a blow either. Dean caught his arm mid-punch, and in what looked like two quick movements that took a mere second had flipped him over one shoulder, spun him midair twice, and onto the ground. Jade saw a puff of dust come up from the ground. Had he actually broken the sidewalk with that guy’s body?

    The remaining five Alphas, save Alistair, decided it would be best to take him on all at once after that. Not that it did any good. It was harder to see just what Dean was doing to them, people were starting to crowd around the windows, and Alistair’s gang was seemingly attempting a good old-fashioned dog pile technique. Though she did see one guy go flying, hitting the grass of the courtyard face first, a heartbeat before two more were flipping backwards through the air at the same time. Those three got back up, but they were a bit less enthusiastic in getting back into the fray. Alistair had to goad them before they charged Dean, who was neatly ducking their buddy’s flailing kick before landing three of his own. That much Jade was sure wasn’t just her seeing things. One jump, three kicks. She had no idea how that was even possible, but considering how impressed the crowd was she wasn’t the only one to see it.

    The crowd got too dense after that, Jade couldn’t see the rest, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Dean’s eyes had been solid red, he’d gone feral faster than she’d thought was physically possible. What’s more…he was smiling. As he’d thrown full grown Alphas around like ragdolls and broken school property with their bodies, a savage grin split his face. Was he enjoying this?

    Jade jerked her attention back to her table as Castiel heaved a weary sigh, slowly getting to his feet. “Come on, we’d better go get him. I’d rather not be the one to tell Mary he broke the school on our first day.”

    “Yeah, ‘guess so,” Benny agreed reluctantly. He shoved what was left of his chicken into his mouth before standing up, dusting his hands off. Both he and Castiel began wading through the crowd, disappearing after they stepped through the broken window.

    Meanwhile Kevin emerged from the crowd, towing a grimacing Charlie.

    “Hey, guys. Sorry, was kinda hoping he wouldn’t be around when they finally caught up to me.”

    “What do you mean by that?” Garth asked, frowning as she sat on his other side.

    “They’ve been tailing me for half the day. I think I hit on one of their girlfriends or something. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to play the Dean card.”

    Garth patted her shoulder, pushing his second tray over to her. “It’s not your fault. He’s been kinda antsy since the move. The chicken’s pretty good.”

    Kevin dropped back down next to Jade with a sigh. “Don’t worry about him. He just gets a little overzealous. Curry?” He pushed over one of his two insulated containers, twisting open his own. The scent of warm curry mixed with rice drifted to Jade’s nose, but for once it wasn’t a temptation.

    She was wondering if she should ask Kevin if he’d neglected to mention a bipolar issue when Alistair himself flew straight up into the air, smashing into the walkway’s thin aluminum ceiling, putting an Alistair-sized dent in it before dropping back down to earth. The entire cafeteria gave an “oooh!” in near-perfect unison.

    Kevin nudged her sympathetically. In a lowered voice he promised, “Dean doesn’t tolerate bullying.”

    Charlie snorted, taking a bite of her apple. “Understatement. But no one can say he doesn’t defend his own. At our last school, some bastards gave Sam a swirlie. He broke the toilets with their faces. I have the video. It was awesome.”

    “Can I see?” Kevin asked hopefully.

    Jade decided her attention was better directed at her food. She opened her own container, inhaling a deep breath of the spicy steam. Just relax, ignore the screaming and crashing from outside, eat the agonizingly delicious food…

    The first bite just tingled. She was on her second bite when the heat really hit home, her eyes watering. By bite four she was screwing her eyes shut, hitting her leg with a closed fist.

    “Are you okay?” Garth asked worriedly.

    Jade nodded, gulping some of her milk before shoveling more curry into her mouth.

    “It’s just Mom’s curry. Want some?”

    “Sure!”

    Jade hurridly blinked her eyes clear, swishing the milk around her mouth a bit to try and ease more of the burn before swallowing. She grinned when Garth took a bite, and at first seemed to like it. But then his eyes widened, he made a choking sound in his throat, fumbling for his bottle of juice and gulping most of it in one go.

    Meg leaned over to stare at him, eyebrows raised. “What did he just eat again?”

    Kevin grudgingly passed around his bowl. Jade held onto hers with the hand not spooning more of the painfully delightful curry into her mouth. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, apparently painting a pitiful enough picture Tessa sighed and passed over some of her bread. Samandriel gave her his yogurt, too. She couldn’t bring herself to protest. After she was done savoring this she’d need something to kill the heat.

    She was so focused on her food she didn’t notice people returning to their table until Benny dropped down across from her with a groan. She glanced up, then did a doubletake. Benny was scowling, a cut along one temple almost done healing, red sparks in his blue eyes. Jade blinked her own eyes clear, then turned to peer down the table at Castiel. He looked a bit more ruffled than when he’d left, his nose looked freshly set, and he kept rolling his right shoulder. Jade knew that movement all too well. When Shifters had something dislocated you had to pop it back into place soon after, otherwise it’s start to heal wrong. You also had to keep it moving, otherwise it would be stiff and you wouldn’t have full range of motion after. Then if you didn’t, like if a bone wasn’t set before it began to heal, the injury had to be repeated so it could be treated properly. Had Dean…the same Dean who’d been kind to her, who’d somehow managed to not bruise her despite the fact he’d lifted her by one leg, done this? To his packmates, his brothers? From what Kevin had told her this was the inner circle, pack members he was closest to. Yet they’d still been injured for interfering in a fight.

    The table thumped, and Jade’s head jerked up only to quickly drop back down again. Dean was sitting on the end, next to Castiel. “Sorry, buddy,” he was saying roughly, tone a bit sheepish.

    Rather than get angry, which was the tendency of most Alphas who’d gotten an arm dislocated by another, Castiel just gave a long-suffering sigh. “Did you really have to dent the ceiling this time?”

    “Hey, that one tried to claw my eyes out. Dick thought he’d have an advantage if he busted out the claws. Bitch.”

    “Don’t you need to eat something?” Kevin asked, sniffing through his own curry-induced tears.

    “Uh, you guys okay?” Dean asked, sounding worried.

    “We’re good,” Kevin choked, taking a swig of milk.

    “Don’t try that stuff,” Meg warned dryly. “I don’t know how they’re eating it.”

    Jade abandoned her empty milk thermos, fumbling to open the yogurt and just bringing the cup to her lips, gulping a mouthful of soothing goo. Apparently having one of her favorite spicy foods in front of her made it easy to ignore the titan of an Alpha sitting a mere ten feet away.

    “Burns so good,” Kevin groaned, pounding the table with a closed fist.

    “Is that Ms. Tran’s five alarm curry?”

    “You can’t have any.”

    “Why would he want any?” Anna asked, sounding scandalized.

    “Are you kidding? That shit’s good.”

    “Go buy some soggy pizza like the rest of us,” Meg huffed. “If you didn’t go wandering off after bees I’d think I’d mated the last sensible Alpha on the planet.”

    “I like bees,” Castiel complained.

    The Omega patted his arm consolingly, then passed him her uneaten cookie. The last thing on her tray. “I know you do, Clarence.”

    Jade wasn’t sure where Dean went, probably to try and get some food before lunch period ended. She gladly devoted her remaining attention to what was left of the curry, then eating her donated yogurt and bread to try and douse the heat. She listened absently to the conversation, but only just.

    Kevin had been singing praises about the Winchester-Campbell pack since he’d known they were coming, about six months ago when Dean had called him. Jade couldn’t remember half the names he’d rattled off, but it was going to get a bit easier now that she had faces to go with them. They seemed nice, which was good. Though she did wonder why one of them had a tendency to wander after bees.

    More importantly, she wondered about Dean. Kevin hadn’t told her exactly what it was that had indebted him to the Alpha, but he seemed virtually infatuated, if in a brotherly sort of way. He hadn’t exactly mentioned Dean’s habit of attacking bullies with such ferocity, but nor had he seemed surprised today. Jade had a feeling he’d intentionally left some things out, which she’d have to have words with him about. Until then…should she keep her distance? Instinct and experience both dictated that she keep as much distance between herself and those with propensities to violence as was possible. She had too much in her life as it was. But Dean hadn’t always been violent, for all he was going back and forth fast enough to give her whiplash. He’d been gentle, saving her not once but twice within the space of ten minutes, affording her far more consideration than she was used to getting from people. With precious few exceptions people either ignored her, excluding her, or picked on her. Something she’d found out was her sibling’s doing. Apparently Mindy, who’d been a senior when she was a freshmen, had taken great pains to ensure this. To have someone outside her close-knit circle be friendly, never mind courteous to her was…what was it exactly? A relief? A breath of fresh air? Enticing?

    Eventually she came to the reluctant conclusion it didn’t matter. She was already mated off, the moment her heat hit Morningstar had every right to her. The paperwork was signed, she was essentially a bought and paid for brood mare at this point. Even if there was a whisper of a whisper of a chance, which if her previous life experience was to go by there certainly was not, it didn’t matter. It would be nice to have more friends, but nothing would ever come of anything. It wasn’t possible, and even if it was it wouldn’t happen. Her family would make sure of that.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

   _“Why didn’t you warn us?”_ Li Jun thundered.

    Jade kept her head down, trying to make herself as small as possible as her father raged. Both he and Wang Li had been on the warpath when she’d walked through the back door. Apparently Dean’s parents had knocked on their door this afternoon and attempted a polite introduction. This began to go downhill quickly, as Sherman had been the one to answer the door. _Nai-Nai_ had come to see what the fuss was about, and invited them in when she recognized them. She’d been making them tea and chatting when her daughter-in-law and Mindy had come home and demanded to know who was on their couch. It hadn’t ended well, from what Jade could gather. Both her parents had come home and promptly added another insult to their tally by recognizing neither John nor Mary. Naturally John had taken offense. He and Li Jun had argued until her father realized just who was standing in his living room. By then they’d apparently passed the point of no return, but the last thing anyone wanted was a turf war so John and Mary Winchester had left on a very shaky truce.

    _“They said they notified us! Where are they? Where are the letters?”_ Wang Li demanded, grabbing her arm hard and jerking her around. _“What did you do with them?”_

_“I-I-I didn’t- I left the-them on- “_

    She cut off as her mother smacked her sharply over the head, making her ears ring.

    _“Stop stammering! Speak up!”_ Wang Li snapped. _“Why did you not inform us we had received notifications?”_

    She had. Or tried to. Not that saying as much would do her any good. Jade swallowed tightly, taking a careful breath and slowly saying, _“I’m sorry, I-I-I try to organize you-your mail properly. I apologize for my-my incompetence.”_

    Wang Li thrust her away, pretty face contorted in a scowl. _“Do you realize what’s happened because of you? Do you have any idea who these people are?”_

    Mindy snorted from her position in the doorway, arms folded. _“How could she? She’s either hiding or screwing things up. She wouldn’t know a Winchester from a Smith.”_

    Jade did, actually. She’d been aware of the Winchester-Campbell’s even before Kevin had given her more details on them. There were records to support the claim that the Campbell’s had indeed come over on the Mayflower, and had spent all that time since growing and strengthening, slowly but surely. The Winchester’s hadn’t arrived until two centuries later, when manifest destiny was all the rage, for all they wasted no time in becoming just as strong. Even after both world wars they’d held strong, to the point when John met Mary both had been the only heirs to the top two largest, most powerful packs in America. To hear Kevin tell it they’d genuinely fallen in love, it had just been good luck that in mating they’d combined their packs. Now the blended pack was known as the Winchester-Campbell’s, and held the title as the biggest and badest in North America. Statistically speaking, they were the biggest and badest in the world, but they didn’t like to advertise it. Something about it drawing too much attention, making more trouble than the title was worth.

    But their father must have agreed with Mindy, because he turned his ire back on Jade. _“These people head the strongest pack in North America. Possibly the world. If they decided to wipe us all out they could, with no consequence! The Alpha and his son have already decimated another pack. And the Knight’s were far stronger than we are.”_

    She knew that too, though they were hardly decimated. According to Kevin, both John and Dean had been well within their rights for what they’d done, and since then the pack had been taken over by the more agreeable Crowley McLeod, folded into the McLeod pack. John’s father, Henry, had been ambushed and killed by Azazel Knight while John was away on his last tour as a Marine. He’d been allowed to come home for the funeral and had Challenged Azazel for his crime rather than let him just waltz in and take over the pack. Azazel had lasted perhaps a minute before his intestines had decorated the stadium floor. More recently, Azazel’s daughter Lilith, a female Alpha, had Challenged Dean to avenge her father. She hadn’t lasted much longer in the ring than he had.

 _“They are powerful! Brutal! If this truce doesn’t hold we’re done for. All our hard work, for what? I won’t let the likes of you ruin that. We could have forged a powerful ally today. Instead now we must tiptoe around the likes of the Winchester-Campbell’s. How are we supposed to hold our head high? How are we supposed to save face if there is nothing to salvage?”_ Li Jun turned abruptly, grabbing her by the neck. Jade’s eyes bulged as she was slammed against the wall hard enough she felt plaster give way, lifted until her toes didn’t touch the floor. She grabbed at her father’s hand, gagging as she fought for air. Leaning in, breathing the familiar reek of cabbage and soy sauce into her face, he growled, “ _Do you have any idea what you’ve done to us? Do you even care, you stupid bitch? If you were not already promised you would truly suffer for this. It’s a shame we promised Morningstar untouched goods.”_

    He let go, but only when he tossed her onto the floor. Jade stayed down, coughing and wheezing, chest going tight. She already knew what he meant, but it still made her shudder when her father ordered, _“Go fetch the pack. We’re having a hunt.”_

    Mindy didn’t argue. Why would she? This was their favorite game. As Li Jun stepped over her, marching towards the door Wing Li fisted a hand in her hair, dragging her to her feet. She winced, but didn’t dare grab her mother’s arm. She was going to suffer enough tonight as it was. No dinner would only be the start of this. If they held true to form they would hunt her like prey tonight, abandon her in a battered and bloody heap on the forest floor, then demand to know why she wasn’t at school the next day.

    Jade was dragged out into the street, where pack members were already gathering. Some looked eager for the hunt, but most just looked angry, on edge. They must have heard what had happened. Whether or not they blamed her didn’t matter. They’d still join the hunt. They always did.

    When everyone was gathered, save Sherman and the two others who worked night shifts, Jade was marched down the street. It was a mile to the forest, but they took their time, the idea being to add shame to her plight. It worked.

    At the tree line she was thrust forward, stumbling a few steps before shifting and taking off at a run. They said they gave her five minutes, but didn’t bother to hide their lie. Sometimes she’d get a few minutes, at best. It really depended on how antsy they were and how pissed they were. Not that it made much difference in the end, the result was always inevitable. They’d always catch her. When she was younger they’d at least drag her home, but not since they’d finished negotiations with Morningstar. Come to think of it, things had almost gotten worse after that.

    Even moving as close to a sprint as the terrain allowed, she made it less than a mile before the familiar sound of her father’s hunting howl split the twilight. She dug in her claws as she made her mad dash westward. That was the nearest stretch of undisturbed forest, and if she went there it reduced the chance of her running into anybody. She didn’t want witnesses to this. It was bad enough her friends had figured out what was happening.

    She almost made it to the river this time before they started to nip at her heels, literally. Mindy was faster than her, just like Sherman and Lee had always been stronger. Her sister was the first to get close, sharp teeth snapping at her haunches. Jade didn’t even break stride, though she pivoted sharply to the left, darting away and ducking under some low-hanging limbs. She barely got the chance to enjoy getting away from her sister before William crashed through the brush, narrowly missing her, snapping jaws grazing her side. Jade winced as she felt them break skin, ripping as she tore away, but she kept running. Sometimes she weighed the benefits of not running, of just letting them do what they wished, but the one time she’d tried that they’d made her go out again the next day. Apparently a hunt was no fun if the prey didn’t flee. Painful experimentation had revealed that, however unpleasant, the harder and longer she ran the longer the reprieve she got after. Sherman wouldn’t wake her up for two whole days, sometimes three. Her parents ignored her completely, which was a blessing. It never lasted long, and considering how angry they were this time she might only get a day, but it was something.

    So on she ran, scrambling down a rocky incline and leaping over a ravine as her pack closed in. Lee, who was off tonight, was the first to reach her. He crashed into her from the left, knocking her off her paws just enough to slow her down. Mindy sprang at her from the opposite side, landing on top of her smaller sister and knocking her flat to the ground, jaws dropping down over the back of her neck. Her wolf whimpered, shivering as Lee went for her neck.

    They wouldn’t kill her. They weren’t allowed. But so long as no permanent damage was done their father wouldn’t punish anyone for something done in a hunt.

    Her wolf hated these hunts. They should be the hunter, not the prey, it went against their nature. But even instinct could only withstand so much. Her beast was as conditioned as she was. To roll over and bend to these torments rather than be broken. It had become a matter of survival, simple as that.

    Once she was down the rest of the pack descended. All of them, even her parents, crowding around, trying to get in a bite or chance to paw at their downed prey. Jade scrambled as far away from control as possible, a desperate attempt to separate herself from the pain, never mind the phycological turmoil of having your pack fighting to tear at you. Yet they didn’t cast her out, they never would, not while she still had a use. Worse, her wolf was franticly trying to join her, quivering from ears to tail. She tried to console the trembling beast, for what little good it did. Her human self was no better. If they noticed how dead their body’s eyes were, or the silent tears dripping from them, they gave no sign of it.

    Jade wasn’t sure when they left. Eventually she stirred, trying and failing to open her eyes when she noticed there was no one around her anymore. The sting of fresh wounds pulsed through her with every beat of her aching heart, throbs from blows that had accompanied the cuts of fang and claw. Someone had targeted her face again. Her eyes were swollen shut, dried blood caked around them. They’d done this before, she knew she wouldn’t be blinded, but for now she was. It would make it that much harder to move when she healed that much. Even if she could have gone home, she wouldn’t. Kevin’s house was closest to here, even if it was several miles. She could make it. She had before. But then it had been some time before they’d been so angry.

    They drifted in and out of consciousness, her and her wolf both. Eventually the damaged tendons and cracked bones healed enough her wolf was able to drag them upright. She wasn’t aware of it when they did, but she noticed when they stumbled over uneven ground.

    _Stop, we don’t know where we’re going,_ she pleaded. _Just wait. What if we get hurt worse?_

    Jade got the sense her wolf didn’t think that was possible, but she still lowered them gingerly down on their least-wounded side. She hated being awake while she healed. It always hurt, and the worse the wounds the worse the pain.

    They both drifted, her more so than the wolf. One of them had to be alert. They were wounded, blind, and alone. It wouldn’t last, but right now they were very vulnerable. If she wasn’t biting their tongue to keep whimpers in check she might find it funny, that the very people who refused to let her run on their watch because it was considered too risky were the ones who’d done this to her.

    In a desperate attempt for a distraction, Jade began to hum. Singing was impossible with a muzzle, but remembering the tunes still had a relaxing effect. It always did, for both of them. Her wolf heaved a painful sigh, some of the tension leaving their frame as she hummed her way through one song after another. All ones _Nai-Nai_ had taught her, all in her grandmother’s native dialect. _Nai-Nai_ never joined these hunts. Never. When she had still limped home rather than to the sanctuary of a friend’s house, _Nai-Nai_ had taken her in and patched her up as best she could, singing to her as the last of her wounds had healed. She loved singing, something Jade was sure she’d gotten from _Nai-Nai_ , whether the songs were in English or some dialect of Chinese. But to hear her family tell it, her voice was more afront to their ears than even her flute. Last time her mother had caught her singing she’d been whipped for it. So she sang where they couldn’t hear.

    The moon was high overhead before they could open their eyes. Only then did Jade agree that it was time to start moving, still humming softly. Her wolf dragged them upright once more, then began the long limp to Kevin’s house.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    “You sure you’re okay?”

    Jade managed a weak smile. “I’m fine.” Glancing down at her clothes she added, “I’ll wash these and get them back to you tomorrow.”

    “Don’t worry about it. She said you could keep them.”

    Ms. Tran had said just that, she always did, but Jade always felt guilty keeping them. After showing up on their doorstep at nearly midnight Ms. Tran had taken her in, patched her up, tossed her into the shower, fed her, then put her to bed. She’d even left out a pair of her own clothes for Jade to borrow, as she always did. They were the same size, so everything fit better than her hand-me-downs, but she was always afraid her family would notice and throw them away. Or worse, destroy them and punish her for getting new clothes on her own.

    Since there had been so much healing needed, it had really drained her. She’d eaten more than double what she normally did, both last night and this morning, and she felt exhausted. She should be sleeping for half the day, as Ms. Tran had urged her to, not stumbling to school after barely five hours of sleep. But she had no choice. Jade wasn’t sure who, but someone would tell her family, then she’d be in trouble all over again.

    Honestly Jade had almost forgotten about the cause of all this in the first place until she trudged into school with Kevin. Then he waved, saying, “Hey, Benny. Where’s Dean?”

    The bear Shifter was closing his locker, adjusting his jockey cap as he turned to regard them. “Dunno. Wanted to run to school today. Sounds like there was some problems last night with public relations. You know he hates that stuff.”

    Kevin grimaced. “Yeah, I remember. Wait, I saw the Impala out there. Who drove you?”

    “Cas.”

    Jade looked back in time to see shock on his face, eyebrows shooting up. “You’re kidding, right? He won’t let anyone drive Baby.”

    “Baby?” Jade mumbled, frowning. _Who calls their car ‘Baby’?_

    Benny just shrugged, thrusting his hands into his pockets. “Won’t let me drive, either. Apparently I ride the clutch too much. Meg and Garth ain’t gentle enough. Everybody’s got something. He still don’t like letting someone else drive, but sounds like Cas has the gentlest touch.”

    Since when did an Alpha have a ‘gentle touch’?

    “You got any vending machines around here? I could use a bite before class.”

    “Didn’t they feed you already?”

    Benny grinned. “Ever hear ‘a second breakfast?”

    Jade’s ears pricked at the Hobbit reference, not that she commented on it. Instead she waited until Benny had left to turn and ask Kevin, “Baby?”

    The taller Omega shrugged, moving on to their own lockers. “The Impala was John’s car. When Dean turned sixteen, he passed it down. He loves that thing, always has, even before he could drive it. Don’t ask me why, I’m not a car guy.”

    “Really. I hadn’t noticed.”

    Kevin made a face, twisting his combination. “Like you’re any better.” He hesitated, then asked, “Any idea what he was talking about? The public relations thing?”

    Jade winced, but reluctantly told him why she’d dragged her bloody self onto their doorstep. Kevin’s face hardened, and he slammed his locker shut hard enough to make her start. He grimaced apologetically, one hand tightening on his books enough to bend the textbook’s cover.

    “Sorry,” he muttered.

    “Don’t be,” Jade mumbled, letting her hair fall forward to shield her face as she closed her own locker. It was a perk of having it so long, being able to use it to hide or to peek across a classroom at new Alphas in a subtle fashion. “Not your fault.”

    “And it wasn’t yours.”

    “I know.”

    “Do you?”

    She turned, lifting her face to look him in the eye. He was one of the few she could do that with. “Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “I just…what’s the point in trying to tell them that?”

    “This is the fifth time this year,” Kevin hissed, catching her arm before she could leave. “It’s getting worse. What, are they making up for all the time they won’t have you?”

    “What’s it matter?” she asked tiredly, staring up the short height gap at him. “At least then maybe it will be just one person. Not a whole pack.” She’d lose her friends, too. Even if she was allowed to keep contact, of which there was no guarantee.

    “Is that what you really think?”

    “It’s what I’ve been telling myself.”

    “Are you even going to try fighting this?”

    “What’s the point?”

    “Of what?”

    Jade froze, going ridged at the gruff voice at her back. He was close, but they were standing to the side of a bustling hallway. Too many moving people, too many churning scents, she hadn’t picked him up. Her arms tightened around her books, clutching them harder to her chest, her gaze plummeting to scuffed linoleum.

    “Nothing,” Kevin said reluctantly. “When can I drive the Impala?”

    Dean snorted. “Never. Sorry. Hey, uh, you’re Li Jun’s kid, right?”

    Oh gods. Jade squeezed her eyes shut, shoulders hunching. The last time she’d heard that question some grownups had pounded a thirteen-year-old into the pavement because her father had managed to cheat them out of their life savings, and she’d been sent in his stead. She swallowed tightly, opening her eyes to stare beseechingly at Kevin, who still stood in front of her. He didn’t look worried, just confused.

    “Why?”

    “I need to talk to her about something. You mind?”

    To Jade’s dismay, Kevin shrugged and turned away. “Sure. No one’s in band for homeroom, it should be empty right now.”

    “Thanks, Kev.” A moment later it was followed by, “You know where that is?”

    She nodded stiffly.

    “Awesome. Lead the way.”

    The Omega made herself put one foot in front of the other. Might as well get it over with. Dean had seemed nice yesterday, but she’d seen with her own eyes just how fast that could change. The only reason she was going along and not putting as much distance between her and him as she could was because Kevin hadn’t seemed to think there was any reason to. Otherwise he would have said something, she was sure of that. She trusted Kevin, really, but…she had too much experience to ignore her own instincts.

    They did eventually reach the band room, with its layered circle of chairs and stacks of instrument cases. Jade stopped on the circle’s edge, still clutching her things like a shield, flinching when she heard the door lock click. That never boded well.

    “Listen, do you have any idea what went down yesterday at your place? Did they tell you anything?”

    Jade winced, but nodded.

    “As of right now, we’re not supposed to interact any more than we have to. But the school’s kind like Switzerland, so we’re good. Places like this, the grocery store, we all gatta go and this ain’t a huge place where there’s a lot of options. No one can get angry at us if we talk here, but…what the hell happened? It sounded like they were intentionally trying to insult us.”

    For a moment the Omega hesitated, eyes still on the metal folding chairs in front of her, then said slowly, “I-I-I don’t thin-think it was del-deliber-deliberate. They didn’t…they didn’t try to…didn’t set out to step-step on toes.”

    “What’s that supposed to mean?”

    Jade bit her lip, shrugging. If she said anything negative it would get back to them. It always did. And she’d be punished for it.

    “Hey.” The word was gentler, the panel floor creaking as Dean slowly came around, ducking his head to try and catch her eye. When he did he continued in that same, softened tone. “Are you okay? You’re paler than you were yesterday, and your scent’s off.”

    She just shrugged again. “I’m fine,” she mumbled weakly. She wasn’t used to near-strangers asking her that, though. Or for them to sound genuinely worried.

    Dena didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t ask again. Instead he said, “Whatever you tell me doesn’t leave this room. If I have to tell my parents, I won’t say who it came from. Sound fair?”

    Yes, but only if he kept his word. Something few did these days. But…Kevin trusted him. That meant something, and Kevin always kept his word.

    Jade took a shaky breath, turning her attention to the teacher’s podium at the room’s center rather than continue staring into Dean’s eyes. “The…the letters came…we got-got them, but…I-I don’t know wh-why but they ignored…didn’t read them. They should-should’ve recognized you-your name, but…may-may-maybe because there was-wasn’t a seal from the-the-the Sh-Shifter’s Council…I-I-I-I’m sorry they-they-they were so dis-dis-disrespectful. They-they want to bu-build-build good relations here bu-bu-but they don’t…my parents on-only respect strength. Now-now they-they’re sc-scared and angry and-and-and won-won’t-won’t go near any tre-treaty un-unless they-they-they can save fa-fa-face.”

    It was sad, but true. They had come to America for a real chance, so they would no longer be one of the lowliest packs in their region of China. But they’d overestimated just how far you could come in one leap. There was still a hierarchy with Shifters, and there were still packs here who were higher on that ladder than they. This wasn’t the first time they’d made such a mistake, though it was possibly the biggest.

    “You sure you’re okay? Kevin didn’t say anything about a speech impediment.”

    Jade grimaced, but opted to keep her mouth shut. She’d meant to shut it sooner, but she just kept going, rambling haltingly. Perhaps this would be enough, and she’d be allowed to go.

    “So they just have their heads up their asses. Awesome.” Dean paced away, huffing a sigh as he raked a hand through his hair. “I was kinda hoping it was just a misunderstanding. Last thing we need is to make enemies before we’re here a month. As nice as it is that it ain’t my fault this time, this still ain’t good.”

    “Wh-why are you…why are you worried?” Jade asked quietly, frowning. They were the weakling pack here, not the Winchester-Campbell’s.

    “Because, believe it or not, we don’t like having blood-feuds. Or any feud. We have enough to deal with as it is. That’s why they called a truce. The whole reason Shifters became an endangered species in the first place was because of them.”

    Jade couldn’t find an argument to that. When Shifters had first come out in the early nineteen hundreds, forced into the light by their own fights and the lack of unchartered land, it had been a rough transition. One drawn out by the two world wars. Their numbers had been dwindling already, but by 1945 they were dangerously close to extinct. To this day there were still precious few avian Shifters, bear Shifters like Benny were only just leaving the endangered bracket. Felines and canines had fared better in that regard, at least. More of their numbers had survived, and those that had quickly flourished.

    “We can still be friends, right? From what I heard you’re not much like your parents, and Kevin really cares about you.”

    That…didn’t sound terrible. Just the opposite, in fact. So she nodded.

    “Do I scare you or something?” Dean asked abruptly.

    The bluntness startled her enough to look up at his face, however briefly. “What? No, you don’t…” Dropping her gaze again she mumbled, “Don’t scare me.”

    “It’s in your scent, you know.”

    Jade bit her lip, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath, fighting to get a good hold on herself. “It’s not…not you I’m afraid of,” she said carefully.

    “Then what?”

    “You don’t…you don’t know my-my parents.” If she slowed down, spoke carefully, it was easier to fight the stammer. “If word gets back to…back to them what-what I’m saying about them, they-they will be very angry. I-I might not even be allowed to speak-speak with you.”

    “Might not? Wouldn’t they have told you by now?”

    “I-I-I spent the night at-at Kevin’s.” Not a lie, per say. But it saved her from admitting what they’d done.

    Dean didn’t say anything right away. He took a step forward, then another, movements slow, careful. Jade held perfectly still, waiting with bated breath. When the Alpha was towering over her, a hand much larger than her own came up to gently cup her wrist. She hadn’t noticed before, the calluses that ran over his knuckles, the outside edge of his palm. Fighter’s marks?

    Those large, battle-worn hands lifted her arm, turning it over to reveal the silvery scars that hadn’t faded yet. All that remained from the wounds that had nearly cut her tendon in two places, the shape eerily similar to a wolf’s muzzle.

    “This wasn’t here yesterday.” The words were calm, but his voice was lower, the undertone making her shiver. “Who did this?”

    Jade jerked her arm back, stepping back only to run into stacked chairs folded against the wall. “No-no-no one, don-don-don’t-don’t worry a-a-about it,” she blurted.

    “Jade- “

    “Ha-ha-have to g-go-go,” she stammered, skirting around him and hurrying for the door. In a heartbeat she had it unlocked and was stumbling into the hall, trotting to homeroom as quickly as possible without risking being called out by a teacher for running.

    “You okay?” Tessa asked as she dropped down next to her.

    Jade groaned, head dropping down into her hands. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

    “Because you look pale and I know you spent the night at Kevin’s.”

    “I’m fine,” she protested for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Can we just drop it? Please?”

    “Fine, fine. So, did you hear?”

    “About what?”

    “Both Ruby and Bela got shot down. They’re both steaming about it. You might want to skip gym today.”

    Jade winced. “If I do that I’m in detention. Better to just get it over with.”

    “If you say so.” Leaning in, Tessa lowered her voice she asked, “Guess who didn’t get shot down?”

    She’d never been much into these games, not that she knew much about them. She’d never had the time or interest, and her family had made it very clear that Morningstar had been promised an honest-to-gods virgin. But she liked to indulge her friends where she could, so she obligingly asked, “Who?”

    “The same person I had to give a ride home to. Had to get her at Harman’s Point.”

    Jade frowned at that. She’d never been there, but she knew of it. Harman’s Point was one of the few lookouts in a place as flat as Lawrence, with a nice view. It was a favorite make out location for the local youths, more if you were into the risk of getting caught. “Who?” she repeated patiently.

    “Anna.”

    She considered that a moment, then asked, “Someone from the new pack? Which one? I know she was more into meeting them than I was, but it sounds like that was almost too fast.”

    “It was. According to her they’re out of each other’s system now. That happened a lot back in Sioux Falls. She’s hanging out with Cole again today.”

    That still gave Jade every bit of information except the one she was more curious about. Anna and Cole had been on and off since middle school, for they spent more time on than off. Jade hoped it was just a maturity thing, that they’d eventually reach the point where every argument didn’t lead to a breakup. They’d separate long enough to bang at least one other person, realize how much they missed the other, and come back together. Jade sometimes wondered if Anna truly appreciated how easy she had it.

    “Which one of the Winchester-Campbell pack scratched her itch?” Jade asked absently, fiddling with her pencil as the warning bell buzzed.

    “Dean,” Tessa snickered.

    Jade’s fiddling froze. “What?”

    Tessa shrugged. “It’s not like it’s out of character. Remember what all Kevin told us? Among this idol Alpha’s attributes was virality. He doesn’t discriminate, though, you gatta give him that.”

    “Yeah, right.”

    It made no sense. That information should not bother her. Less than five minutes ago she was literally escaping his presence. Granted her instincts weren’t quite as skittish around him as they tended to be around Alphas in general, never mind new ones, but that wasn’t a guarantee of anything. He’d asked to be friends. Assuming that was possible, and if Kevin had his way it would be, that would be the limit of it all. She was hardly his type, not that she wanted to be. Jade didn’t often allow herself to dream about could-be’s when she knew they’d never evolve into would-be’s. It was easier that way, safer. But sometimes you couldn’t help it. Whenever Jade thought about could-be’s, in a world where she could choose what sort of life she had and who she lived it with, she didn’t see a big burly Alpha with brutish tendencies. If she didn’t know heats would be such a misery alone she wouldn’t even want an Alpha at all. While they hadn’t bothered to explain the specific mechanics of sex, they had laid on very heavily just how terrible unfulfilled heats could be. Her friends and a brief search on the internet had confirmed this, as if she needed another reason to wish it would stay away for as long as possible. So for that reason only she wished for an Alpha, but perhaps a human one. Humans tended to be calmer, she noticed. There were far fewer politics, they were simpler, and from what she’d heard they had far fewer animalistic tendencies. Her family was proof enough you didn’t need to be big or brawny to knock someone around, but it might help if they weren’t.

    Yes, if she had to choose a life for herself it would be with a nice, boring, mundane human Alpha who didn’t have a violent bone in his body, far away from her pack. In a town that was mostly human, maybe all human. They still existed, she was sure, Shifters didn’t have the numbers for there not to be. She’d like to keep in contact with her friends, though. That would be a must.

    Dean Winchester didn’t fit into any of those categories. He was neither boring nor mundane, for all he did seem to fit squarely into the ‘nice’ category. He seemed to thrive on violence, and not only was he a Shifter but anyone who mated him would become Pack Omega to the Winchester-Campbell pack. She was _not_ cut out for that, thank you very much. No, Anna and whoever else was welcome to him. She did not want, did not need, nor would ever have a chance at, Dean Winchester. One of those pesky facts of life she’d gotten good at accepting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Katategrl80 and HenriaSownbinder!

    Coach Uriel hadn’t made them change out yesterday, apparently it was the MO for first days, for all he’d let them run with the other Shifter students. Today they were expected to change out and report to the gym just like everyone else. They’d been scattered around yesterday, Dean hadn’t gotten a chance to see who all was in this class. Kevin and Samandriel had hung back to wait until after they’d been read the rules, joining Dean and the others in an exploratory run. He’d slowed to a walk, taking in reports on the lay of the land via his pack’s telepathic net and spreading the results, when a petite wolf had run smack into him. The momentum hadn’t knocked him back so much as a step, but she’d gone tumbling. The brief whiff he’d gotten was enough to confirm female Omega, something vividly emerald eyes had confirmed, but little else. Dean had been about to check on her when he’d noticed she was practically trembling, staring up at him with big green eyes. He didn’t like the idea of someone being afraid of him. Well, not an Omega. He was perfectly okay with enemies and douchebags quaking at the sight of him.

    He’d been about to see if she was okay, maybe do something about that trembling, when she’d bolted on him. By the time he caught up to Kevin he’d forgotten about the little wolf, right up until a girl with the exact same scent and ricochet off him and nearly fallen down the stairwell. He didn’t care how tiny she was, she’d been way too light when he’d hauled her back over the rail. What’s more, he’d never met an Omega so skittish before. In hindsight this was largely because he’d spent his life surrounded with Omegas like his mother, Ellen, Donna, Jo, Andrea, Kevin, and Missouri. Meg had been added to their ranks a few years prior to their move. None of them made a habit of letting you walk all over them. Meg in particular was more likely to stab you than wilt if you got snappy with her. How Cas handled her and still managed to remain intact most of the time was beyond Dean.

    So after being surrounded by Meg’s and Mary’s and Kevin’s all his life, being faced with an Omega that could barely look him in the eye was unsettling. He didn’t like it. Cowed opponents were one thing, but a cowed Omega? That wasn’t good. It didn’t feel right to him. Even if this wasn’t the case…he liked her. What had Kevin introduced her as? Jade? Jade was quiet, which he thought might just be another symptom of whatever was going on with her. When she did speak it was with a stutter, which was way cuter than it should have been. Was it wrong to think a speech impediment was adorable? He was going to snag Kevin to see what the deal was on that. But even before she’d opened her mouth he’d gotten a good chance to inhale her scent. All too often Omega musk ran too sweet for his liking, if he started spending too much time with them it could almost give him a headache. But Jade’s was softer, sweet but not overpoweringly so, mixed with traces of cinnamon and chili powder, even after she showed up wearing clothes that smelled exactly like Linda Tran. It was hard to put his finger on, but regardless Dean decided he liked it. He also like the pretty package that was that scent’s source.

    Dean wasn’t ashamed of his reputation, per say. He didn’t lead anyone on, whatever Beta or Omega he spent time with knew he wasn’t looking for anything serious, and he liked to ensure both parties enjoyed themselves. He certainly didn’t get any complaints, or at least not unless he had the misfortune of spending time with someone who had a hard time letting go, which he’d gotten very good at avoiding. If everyone wanted to gossip about how he’d slept with hundreds of people, let them. He might not know the exact number himself, but he was sure it hadn’t been _that_ many. Regardless, all he had to do was keep his mouth shut and suddenly he had plenty of takers. The same for the bad boy reputation he already had floating around. It had already been there, gossip traveled fast even across states, but yesterday’s incident had solidified it. Again, he was hardly going to apologize. Those dicks had been pushing Charlie around, and there was no way in hell they were getting away with it. They were lucky he hadn’t broken more bones than he had. Charlie was the sister he’d never asked for, she was family, she was pack. He wanted it to be very clear that you fucked with his pack at your own peril.

    Right up until last night, he was quite pleased with how well and how quickly things had panned out. Anna was nice, pretty, and into it. Her scent was more akin to raspberries, a little sweet but not overpoweringly so. He’d followed through, of course, he wasn’t that much of an ass, but at some point between driving out to Harman’s Point and getting that condom on it had occurred to Dean that Anna didn’t smell right. Her scent wasn’t earthy enough, it was somehow too sweet and too bland at the same time and just not… _right._ He still didn’t get it. Up until he’d come up behind Jade this morning and taken a big lungful of chili powder and cinnamon and earthy vanilla tones and been surprised at having to shove his wolf down. While said beast was even wilder than he was, Dean had good control over it. He had to, otherwise the thing would burst out every time he got into a fight. Yet one whiff of some random Omega and his wolf was yipping like a freshly whelped pup, dancing around, tail wagging. He was very sure his wolf hadn’t done that yesterday. Even more interesting, Dean had to bite down a growl when he noticed the myriad of healing wounds on light brown skin. In that moment he’d been glad she was looking anywhere but his face, likely the flash of Alpha-red as his wolf growled would have spooked her. He’d only pointed out the most obvious, but she hadn’t told him anything. Yes alright they’d just met, but she was Kevin’s friend and Kevin was pack. Not to mention he didn’t like bullies even if they targeted complete strangers.

    He hadn’t seen Jade since. Not until now, as he walked out of the men’s changing room to see her standing against a far wall, arms folded self-consciously, talking to Samandriel. Dean glanced around, then grabbed Kevin’s arm as he came out too.

    “Does Jade have a speech thing?” he asked, pulling the Omega aside.

    Kevin gave him an odd look. “What’re you talking about?”

    “Ya know, the stutter. What’s with the stutter?” Endearing, yes, but he doubted she’d see it that way.

    Understanding had crossed Kevin’s face. “Oh, that. Don’t worry about it, it’ll go away as she gets used to you.”

    “So she doesn’t have a problem?”

    “She’s just shy, remember? And when she’s nervous she stutters. Once she warms up to you it’ll go away.”

    A frown crossed Dean’s face, but he let his friend go, oddly torn. On one hand he didn’t want Jade to have to warm up to him, he wanted her to calm down and realize he wasn’t going to do anything to her regardless of how stupid her parents were. On the other hand, that stutter really was cute. Just as cute as the rest of the package.

    He shook his head, making a face and turning his attention to the coach, who was checking names off a clipboard for role. When everyone was assembled he directed them outside, where they’d be playing soccer out on the field. It wasn’t really his thing, but at least he’d be moving. Besides, he always jumped at any chance to be captain of anything. His hand was one of the first to shoot up when the coach asked for volunteers, along with some kid called Asa. If he remembered correctly, he was one of the only Alpha pups of the local coyotes. It might make things interesting.

    From there began the process of picking teams. Dean kept one eye on Jade, who seemed to be trying to hide near the back with Kevin and Samandriel, but there had to be a strategy to this if they had a shot of winning. Coach Uriel had already agreed to keep score. He took Cas first, and naturally Asa snapped up Benny immediately after. Dean had known he’d have to choose, but soccer would need more speed and agility than brute strength, and while bears weren’t known for this it was actually a very close call between them. Next he took Garth, the squirrely little guy could come in handy, so would Kevin. More than one person looked surprised when he chose the Omega while there were still Alphas to choose from. He deliberately didn’t choose Meg, but not for the obvious reason. Even before they were mated he’d noticed she and Cas fought harder if they were going against each other regardless of the game. Granted they’d probably disappear during lunch to get all that aggression out of their systems in the nearest janitor’s closet, but it’d be worth it.

    After that he had to guess at what options were left to him, though he did make sure to get Jade. She seemed surprised, but shuffled around to join the group standing at his side. When they were done Asa lost the rock-paper-scissors round to see whose team would wear the jersey’s. Generic, ugly yellow mesh things without sleeves to separate one team from other. From there it was game on.

    Dean almost felt sorry for Benny, who’d been put on goalie duty. Almost. Benny could take it. He’d put some kid named Walt in his own goal. It had been tempting to put Garth there, the guy had fast hands, but for now he’d hold off. Everyone else was just scattered around the field, there wasn’t time for a more in-depth strategy. Not that you really needed one. Sometimes the simplest method was the best. Wisely, most of the humans seemed to decide hanging back was the best option after a stray ball put a deep dent in a goal post. Dean was very disappointed, he’d been aiming for the corner part of the net.

    At some point it occurred to him that Jade was among the ranks lingering around the field’s edges, trying to stay out of the way. She looked uneasy, which confused him. Granted not all Shifters were like him, there were plenty of couch potatoes and the like, but she seemed to be keeping up with the game. If she was interested, why not join in?

    Then one of the locals he’d picked for his team, a Beta cougar they called Simmons, aimed a very hard kick in Jade’s direction. There were other people open, he didn’t know why she’d picked someone who wasn’t shouting for the ball. It flew so fast and hard it would have nailed a human in the face before they could even consider moving. As it was Jade’s hands flew up, catching the ball barely an inch from her own nose. She froze, eyes bulging, then dropped it hurridly as coach Uriel blew his whistle.

    “Hand ball. Jersey’s, throw it in.”

    “You’re not supposed to catch it, moron,” Simmons sneered.

    “Nice going, airhead.”

    “Thanks a lot, bitch.”

    Dean bristled, wolf bridling in surprised anger as barb after barb was hurled at the Omega currently wilting on the field’s edge. Clearly that ball had caught her off guard, it had been an accident, and that kick had been too hard and poorly aimed anyway. If anything Simmons should be apologizing. Instead insults and derogatory comments were being hurled at Jade’s head.

    He snagged Simmons by the scruff as she ran passed, chasing down the ball with the others, pulling her up short. Her head snapped up, indignation quickly melting as she dropped her gaze. A wise move, considering she was a Beta being stared down by a pissed Alpha. In low tones Dean growled, “Watch where you’re kicking that thing. Got it?”

    “Got it.” She sounded very offended, giving him an odd look as she trotted off down the field. His wolf didn’t like that anymore than he did, but now wasn’t the time to put her in her place.

    Much to Dean’s dismay, they pulled the same trick a second time. Only then they aimed it at Jade’s back when she’d turned to glance at the coach as he’d bellowed, “Ten more minutes!” That time it was an Alpha whose name he didn’t remember. Dean was closer to them, but not close enough to stop the ball before it drilled into the Omega’s back, knocking her flat to the ground.

    That time he didn’t bother holding himself in check. His temper spiked, a growl rumbling in his throat as he turned his attention to the Alpha. Dean had just enough time to see the ‘oh shit’ look on the guy’s face before he was on him, and appreciate the degree of fear he must be experiencing, before a wild haymaker was thrown at his head. It was pathetic, really. If the human hadn’t just aimed a fastball at an Omega’s turned back he might have pitied him.

    However much he enjoyed a fight, it wasn’t in his training to drag things out. He made it quick, an armbar takedown and s-lock. He caught the flailing punch by the wrist with his right hand and smacked his left into the human’s jaw. It stunned him, giving Dean plenty of time to twist his right arm forward in an arm bar, then drop him face-first to the grass before twisting it behind his back. Hearing all the air whoosh from his lungs was satisfying, though not as satisfying as making him bleed would have been. Regardless, it was over in a second, his opponent wheezing and holding very still on the ground.

    “Next time, try picking on someone your own size,” Dean growled, then released his hold.

    He straightened, jogging in the direction the ball had gone. Jade was already back on her feet, less than half the class had noticed and the game was still going. She started sticking close to the coach after that, who hadn’t said a word when Dean had taken down the human.

    Just how often did stuff like this happen? Did people do this to her every day? Pelt her with cruel words then turn around and shun her? It would be bad enough if Betas or other Omegas dealt her physical blows, but Alphas? They should have more honor than that. What about her pack? Did they know about all this? Or worse, were they no better?

    The very idea had his wolf growling again. Dean had to push it out of his mind, force himself to focus on the game or he’d have to go on an impromptu run to get the anger out of his system. Somehow he doubted Jade would thank him if he just swooped in, however much he wanted to. He could shield her here, mostly. But only if he was there, or if he heard of it. Why did she let them do these things? Why not defend herself? It made no sense to him. Maybe Kevin would know.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    As much as Dean appreciated loyalty, he found it very annoying at times. Kevin looked grim, but wouldn’t say what all Jade endured on a daily bases. Something about how she wouldn’t want him to tell, or it wasn’t his place to say.

    So Dean settled for the next best option, which was arranging to be around her more. He tried to ignore just how happy this made his wolf, the beast was practically prancing as he slipped into the main office during lunch. He’d managed such things before, and he already knew this maternal Beta secretary would be an easy target. Just turn up the charm, make something up about how he wanted to give his packmates a rest from being around him all the time. The one thing he had gotten from Kevin was Jade’s class schedule, which apparently was much easier to give. Somehow she’d managed to not be in many classes with him or his, though likely it was due to her being in band. While Garth did play piano, and Andrea had a violin, none of them had chosen to take up band. Ergo there wasn’t much overlap.

    When Dean walked out of the main office, bound for the cafeteria, he had a new schedule in hand. The somewhat flustered secretary had ensured he now had seven classes with Jade instead of two, everything but band. Sure people might notice, but he didn’t care, and technically it was the same stuff with mostly the same teachers, just at different times. It would start tomorrow morning.

    The cafeteria was bustling when he made it there, making his round through the shortened lunch line before joining them at what was apparently their usual table. Cas and Meg were still missing, but that was to be expected. Everyone else was there, though. Dean sat himself down next to Benny, which conveniently put him across from Jade. It looked like Ms. Tran had sent double servings again, this time it was thick turkey sandwiches with all the fixings, apples, and what he guessed to be some kind of dessert in still-closed Tupperware containers.

    Dean looked at what they were eating, then stared down at his own trays. Chicken nuggets that had either been frozen too long or cooked too long, peas that went mushy at the slightest pressure, stiff corn muffins, prepackaged fruit cups, and cookies that left much to be desired. The Alpha made a face, poking at the muffin. “Really need to start making shit for us. This is crap.”

    Benny clapped him heartily on the back. “Thanks for volunteering, chief.”

    He rolled his eyes, reluctantly popping some chicken into his mouth. Food was still food, after all. If he kept having to beat people up every day he was going to need the fuel.

    The Alpha was wondering if his peas would be any easier to eat if he just went ahead and mushed them all up when Sam trotted down the line of tables, stopping just behind him.

    “Hey, you got the lunch money?”

    “Nope, Cas does.”

    Sam groaned, pushing his shoulder back and forth impatiently. “Half the school knows what they’re doing right now and I’m _starving._ Just give me some cash or something.”

    “Dude, you ate half your body weight in pancakes this morning. How the hell can you be starving?”

    “I’m a growing boy, or whatever. Come on, Dean, please?”

    “Fine, fine,” Dean grumbled, fishing his wallet out of a pocket and taking out a few bills. “Don’t bother here, just go across the street and get something. It’ll probably have better nutritional value than this crap anyhow.” He’d never thought he’d say that about gas station food.

    “Thanks.”

    Sam grabbed the money, but Dean didn’t let go. “And bring me some pie.”

    His brother rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll see if they have pie. Can I go now?”

    Dean let him go, calling, “Pie, Sammy!” He was going to feed his brother regardless, but no reason not to make him work for it a little. He shoved his wallet back into his pocket, then went back to his own questionable lunch.

    “Sometimes they have pie here,” Kevin pointed out.

    The Alpha looked across the table just in time to see Jade’s gaze drop down to her food. “That’s sacrilege.”

    “It’s not that bad,” Kevin protested.

    Dean pointed his fork at him, giving the Omega his most serious expression. “If you have to classify pie as ‘not that bad’, it ain’t being made right.”

    “Forgot about your pie fetish,” Kevin grumbled into his cup.

    “Everyone always forgets the pie, what’s wrong with you people?”

    Benny grinned. “Ten bucks says Sam forgets the pie.”

    “I’m in,” Garth said brightly. “Sorry, Dean.”

    Dean let his head drop into his hands morosely. “What’s the world coming to?”

    Something bumped his tray. The Alpha raised his head to stare at the Tupperware container that had been pushed across the table. The lid had been removed, revealing a thick slice of cherry pie, the tart scent trickling up to his nose and making his mouth water. He raised his gaze up a little higher, looking from Jade to Kevin. She was the one who was short a container, head bent so she was staring directly down at her food, hair falling in thick black curtains to either side of her face, mutely chewing on her apple. Kevin was giving her a surprised look, muttering, “What’re you doing? You need all the carbs you can get.”

    Jade didn’t utter a peep, didn’t lift her head, just kept eating. Dean was already reaching for the container, he wasn’t one to turn down free pie, but paused when images of silvery wounds in the later stages of healing flashed in his mind’s eye. He knew better than anyone just how much extra sleep and food a Shifter needed after taking damage.

    But it was _pie._

    “You sure?” he asked, wishing she’d look at him.

    Benny choked on something. Dean spared him a glance only to see his shocked expression. Kevin didn’t look any less surprised. Making a face, he turned back to Jade in time to hear a very soft, very quiet, “I’m sure.”

    Even with the superior hearing Shifters were graced with he barely heard her over the ruckus of the cafeteria. Maybe he would have refused, clearly she did need every calorie she could get, but…pie. He was still seriously considering it when he realized she hadn’t stuttered. It was only two words, and granted they’d barely been audible, but it was a start. Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that crap. You didn’t become a master after just one training session.

    “Thanks,” he said, eagerly forking some of the pie into his mouth and groaning. Just as good as he remembered. Besides, they were right. Sammy had an infuriating habit of always forgetting his pie.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade still wasn’t sure what made her do it. Granted pie wasn’t her favorite dessert, but Ms. Tran’s was still good. Not to mention her appetite had been ravenous all day. But then she’d never seen someone as excited about a dessert before. She’d long since given up on things like favorite foods, there was no point. Not when her siblings would just figure out what they were to ensure she never had them.

    Maybe it was the way he’d treated his brother. She’d been a little worried when the gangly freshmen had come right up to them and started pestering his brother. If she’d dared to so much as walk passed her siblings she would have suffered grievous consequences. But Dean didn’t seem angry, in fact even his annoyance seemed to be a façade. He hadn’t been rough or short with Sam, had given in with very little insistence on the younger Alpha’s part. She’d found she couldn’t tear her eyes away, staring up at them as the Alpha with a reputation for breaking school property with the faces of those who irked him let himself be prodded into surrender by a pup who hadn’t even gotten their learner’s permit yet. Once she got over her initial concern, she’d noticed an odd feeling in her chest. It was warm and very unfamiliar, but…she didn’t think it was bad.

    So when Dean had started being so dramatic about pie, her eyes had fallen on her own dessert container. She knew what was in it, she’d peeked before starting on her sandwich. The Omega decided that, while she was hungry, she wanted to give it up. It wasn’t an impulse she had often, to say the least. Particularly since the battle was to keep whatever she could get in the first place. Never had she so much as considered voluntary surrender of food, much less a treat.

    Maybe she still wouldn’t have, but Dean had already been so kind to her. First everything that had happened yesterday, then today. She’d looked up just in time to see what he’d done to Liam, until that point she’d never have someone defend her so quickly or effectively. She’d never been picked anything but last for a sport, either. There had been eight people still waiting by then, even an Alpha. Perhaps that was why Liam had kicked the ball at her, but it was worth it.

    So for the kind if violent Alpha, she handed over her pie, even managing not to stutter when asked if she was sure. She’d been proud of that last fete. Finally, even if it was two words she’d managed to curb that irritating stammer.

    She hurridly finished what was left of her food and left their table, slipping out into the hallway. Once she’d made her escape she slowed her pace, making her way towards the nearest restroom. Halfway there a janitor’s closet door flung open, two people stumbling out. Jade froze, eyes widening, cheeks going hot, suddenly unable to move her feet.

    Meg was adjusting her belt, pulling her rumpled top down over it, her hair mussed, lipstick smeared and mostly gone. Cas was right behind her, hair more wild than Jade had thought it possible for hair to be without product, trench coat half hanging off one shoulder, shirt askew. His mate was flapping a hand at the closet door, muttering something that sounded like “close it” as he slid both hands around her hips from behind, dipping down to nuzzle her neck.

    Was her face on fire? She was very sure it was. Jade held perfectly still, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. Beyond the overwhelming embarrassment, she couldn’t help but be a little intrigued. While she had gotten a more promiscuous vibe off of Meg, Castiel had struck her as a very by-the-book, somewhat uptight individual. She hadn’t understood what Sam had meant, “half the school knows what they’re doing right now”, but she’d never dreamed it would be something like _this._ In part because she’d been led to believe that when things of a sexual nature took place in public it was either due to the Omega misbehaving or there was a prostitute involved. Neither were good, but Meg certainly appeared to be enjoying herself.

    They’d stumbled their way just passed Jade’s position when her fellow Omega huffed and demanded, “Are you going to be like this _every_ time Dean-o pits us against each other in gym?”

    A feral sounding growl rumbled in Cas’s throat, making Jade flinch. But a coy smile spread across Meg’s face as she was jammed up against the lockers, making metal rattle as her mouth was devoured in a kiss. “Don’t say his name,” the Alpha growled as he jerked away. _“Mine.”_

    As he moved back to her neck, the side where his mate mark was just visible above the collar of her shirt, Meg’s eyes slid to Jade. To Jade’s shock, and further mortification, Meg gave her a wink over her mate’s shoulder. Breaking eye contact to tilt her head back, one hand running through Cas’s already mussed hair, she purred, “The feeling’s mutual, Clarence. But I’m getting hungry.”

    Honestly Jade wasn’t convinced Meg wouldn’t be reprimanded for obviously irking the Alpha or for suggesting they stop for one of her own needs. But the Alpha sighed heavily, then withdrew, kissing her tenderly before taking one of her hands and marching towards the cafeteria.

    Jade watched them go, still frozen to the spot. That was it? That’s all Meg had to say? But wouldn’t an Alpha’s needs take priority over those of an Omega? She was glad to see someone she was beginning to consider something between an acquaintance and friend be treated well, but as Jade understood it such things were rare. A treat or a reward, not the norm. All privileges and treats had to be earned, and given only from an Alpha. It was the strict code she’d been raised on, for all she’d never earned much of anything. She still hadn’t been able to pinpoint just what sort of Shifter Cas was, though she knew he was no wolf, but many things stayed the same regardless of breed. Was this how many Alphas treated their mates? Indulging them, catering to their needs, showering them with obvious adoration? She had a feeling if Meg hadn’t protested hunger the Alpha might very well have coupled with her in the public hallway.

    Shaking her head sharply, she hurried on to the restroom. Perhaps…perhaps she would ask Meg, later. Or Kevin, or Anna. Samandriel was shy too, but maybe he knew more about these things. She knew he was seeing someone, someone older, and you could tell when he’d been seeing them because you could always pick up on the Alpha bear scent, but he had yet to give a name. Yes, perhaps Samandriel would know.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    There wasn’t much to do in AV club after school on Wednesday’s, and mathletes were off today since the adult in charge had to be present at all meetings and theirs was out with the flu. Some days Jade had to make her own busy work, anything to keep from going home. Days like this were harder to deal with, even when she wasn’t very confused. Samandriel had left immediately after the last bell, supposedly to meet up with his boyfriend, so she couldn’t talk to him until tomorrow. Kevin had his own club activities, Tessa had to babysit, and Anna was very preoccupied patching things up with Cole.

    Jade found a quiet corner of the school library to hole up in and work on homework until they closed, at which point she moved to the roof. She took out her flute when she’d finished her homework, and set about cleaning it as slowly as possible. There wasn’t enough time to do it after class, so she did it after school instead.

    As she began disassembling the flute, Jade decided to take advantage of her solitude. On a whim she began to sing ‘Out of the West Pass’. The Chinese classic was a little dreary, but if often fit her mood and she enjoyed singing it.

    The melody fell from her lips as her hands worked, calming frayed nerves. Jade sang her way through every slow verse, taking her time. When she ran out of lines she switched to ‘Hallelujah’ on a whim, as she stowed her tools and her flute, reluctantly packing her things away. The last verses, in English this time, drifted from her lips as she made her way down the stairs, bound for the auditorium. Kevin would be done with the debate team soon.

    Jade had just disappeared down one stairwell, on one side of the roof, when someone finally made it to the top of the stairs on the opposite side. Oversized, rumbling AC units and various other rooftop contraptions stood between them. The Alpha wandered around the roof’s edge, turning in a circle as he ran a hand back through damp hair. He’d just come out of the gym from boxing tryouts, and been heading towards the parking lot when he’d heard someone singing. He hadn’t understood the language, but you didn’t have to in order to appreciate just how beautiful that voice had been. He’d trotted around the building before realizing it was coming from the roof, and proceeded to climb four flights of stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, but apparently he hadn’t been fast enough.

    “Damn,” Dean muttered under his breath, reluctantly trudging back towards the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80, HenriaSownbinder, and BrokenWings0712!

    It wasn’t that Jade actively avoided the members of the Winchester-Campbell pack, per say. She’d just reached her limit for new people interactions for the week and didn’t need anymore. She went about quietly, stowing her things in her locker and retreating to homeroom. She settled in her desk against one wall, long hair falling in a curtain between her and the rest of the classroom as she started doodling in the margins of a spare sheet of paper.

    She’d etched out various designs that either resembled snowflakes or looked as though they belonged in Whoville when the desk behind her rattled as someone dropped into it. Jade grimaced, but didn’t lift her head. Whoever had made that noise was big, probably an Alpha. They seemed to get bored very easily in homeroom, finding various ways to torment her. It ranged from pulling a braid if she had one that day, to poking her with pens and pencils, to occasionally twanging her bra. Tessa tried to get in before someone could take the desk at her back, when one of the back-row seats weren’t available, but she didn’t always succeed.

    “’Morning.”

    Jade’s pencil froze. What was he doing here? He didn’t have this class. She would have noticed.

    Dean didn’t say anything else, but a minute later a hand slid between her and wall, nudging a piece of notebook paper folded in half onto her desk. Frowning, Jade set down her pencil to open it. In surprisingly neat handwriting Dean had written, _‘You don’t stutter on paper too, do you?’_

    Jade stared at the words, feeling herself flush. The warning bell buzzed overhead as she wrote out a quick answer on the next line and passed it back. _‘No.’_

    A moment later it was dropping back onto her desk again. Eyes narrowing suspiciously, she opened it to see a new message added to the sheet. _‘Feeling better today?’_

_‘I’m fine now and I was fine then.’_

_‘You were recovering from a lot of wounds and we both know it.’_

_‘Why are you here?’_

_‘Last minute schedule change.’_

_‘Why?’_

_‘Thought the guys could use a break from being around me all the time.’_

    Jade turned that over as announcements began. She’d known it could happen, certainly, but she’d never heard of an Alpha taking the needs or wants of others into account. It was…nice. Odd, but nice.

    She opted not to say as much, least she offend the Alpha, focusing on the teacher in front of her. When the bell sounded she stood, quickly gathering her things and slipping into the hallway with the least amount of jostling she could manage. She had French III for second period, which still irked her. She was bilingual already, that should be impressive enough, right? If she’d had a choice she would have preferred Spanish, it would be more applicable than French here, but no. She needed a foreign language, and she’d made the mistake of showing an interest in Spanish, so French it was.

    As was her habit she found a back desk to sit in, hunching over her desk to avoid eye contact, trying to draw as little attention as possible. She ignored the movement around her as people chatted, took seats, laughing and comparing assignments. She only looked up when a scent that had become all too familiar tickled her nose, and she half turned her head to the left to see Dean waving absently to Garth, who was talking to a blond across the room.

    Moments later, another slip of paper was bumping her elbow. Jade peeked at the words, _‘I thought French teachers were supposed to be hot.’_ Her eyes narrowed this time. Why was Dean in every class now? Why was he bugging her? What was his endgame? More importantly, what was she supposed to do with this question?

    After a long minute of deliberation, and a few false starts, Jade decided she could risk a tiny gamble. Only because Dean had seemed kind, he didn’t seem like the type to turn a genuine answer against her. If she was wrong, likely he couldn’t do anything to her someone else hadn’t already tried.

    When she passed back the paper, she’d written, _‘He’s the substitute. The hot one is on maternity leave.’_

    Her ears pricked when she heard him chuckle. A moment later she got a reply. ‘ _Shame. When’s she coming back?’_

    Lips twitching, Jade passed back, _‘ He will be back next month. I heard his Alpha wouldn’t let him start at the beginning of the year.’_

   _‘This would be a lot easier if I had your number.’_

    Thankfully Mr. McMinn chose that moment to start the class, she was spared from having to answer. Why would someone like Dean Winchester want her number? Was he truly that bored? Maybe if she kept quiet he’d forget about it.

    She should have known better. Her luck was never that good. She managed to ditch him once class let out, slipping away before he could talk to her and disappearing into the bustling hallway. It was one boon to her size, it was easier to melt into a writhing crowd. But no sooner had she perched on her stool in chemistry, another class where your first seat became your permanent one, then she heard Ms. Riker saying, “There’s one seat left in the back.”

    Jade peeked up, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer. Yep, Dean was making his way back towards her. Great. Her head dropped back down to her latest pre-class doodle, biting her lip as Dean dumped his books on their lab table. There were three rows of them, each one accommodating a pair of students who were to be lab partners the rest of the year. Jade had had the rare stroke of good fortune to have been on her own until now. Apparently there had been an odd rumor circulating that she wasn’t very good at science, so no one wanted her for a lab partner. While chemistry wasn’t her favorite she didn’t have to work as hard to maintain her low A average as she did in French.

    Dean lightly nudged her arm once he was seated on the stool next to her, asking in a low voice, “You any good at this stuff?”

    She shrugged weakly, pulling out both the note pieces of paper they’d been trading. She wrote _‘I can’t.’_ on the most recent one and handed both back to him. He took them, glanced at her answer, and asked, “Why not?”

    “Complicated,” she mumbled. It was easier than explaining the truth right now. With people around. Already she heard more than one person asking Ms. Riker if they could squeeze in a third stool at their tables. Was Dean seriously not noticing that?

    A moment later she got one of their note sheets back with the question _‘Complicated how?’_

    She honestly considered telling him the truth for a moment before deciding against it. While she did have a phone, she rarely used it. Her parents had made it clear even giving her one had been _Nai-Nai’s_ idea, and was for emergencies only. Though they used her line to nag her and tell her to run errands or scold her for not having done something, be it via text or by using what few minutes she had. Not that there was much you could do with an archaic pre-paid flip phone. Jade had been surprised that the things were still being sold, but according to the person who’d sold it to them they were only kept around for people who weren’t very tech savvy. Usually senior citizens, or people who needed something a little more durable than your average smartphone. They got her pre-paid minutes once a year and there was hell to pay if she used all of them before the year was out, even if it was their own doing. Beyond that, Jade only used it to coordinate with her friends on study meetups, regardless of whether or not they actually studied, and the band instructor on her rental flute. No way in hell she was going to give that number to someone for social purposes, especially not an Alpha. They’d beat her black and blue and lock her in her room until her heat hit.

_‘My family is very complicated. I can’t give you my number. Sorry.’_

_‘You’re the second person to tell me that. Just how complicated is your family?’_

_‘Traditionally complicated.’_

_‘Do they really keep you on that short a leash?’_

_‘With a spiked choke collar.’_

    She peeked up at his face, catching his frown as he read that answer, but before he could press her further class started. Or at least she’d hoped that would be the end of it. Instead the moment the teacher’s attention wasn’t on them he set a flat, fresh sheet of paper between them. This far back from the front it would just look like sharing notes, if it got noticed at all.

  _‘What did you do?’_

    Jade worried her lip over the incredulous question. Then tugged the sheet over a little so she could write, _‘I was born.’_ with her right hand. Then she switched her pencil back to her left so she could add a note to her own paper. When she’d first learned to write at _Nai-Nai’s_ knee, something her parents had ordered so she’d be ahead of the curve when she went to kindergarten, she’d been left handed. Nai-Nai hadn’t seemed to care, even though everyone else she knew had used their right hand. In fact Jade had been proud of herself for being able to write her name in both English and Mandarin by her first day of kindergarten. Instead she’d found herself in one of those classrooms where it was insisted upon you only use your right hand to write, something about your left hand being ‘unnatural’ or ‘wrong’. While her parents hadn’t shared her teacher’s odd beliefs, they had very much approved of her methods. Her left hand had been rapped brutally with a ruler and cuffed to the table until she’d learned to write with her right hand. As far as that teacher and her family was concerned she’d become right handed, and she was relieved they believed it. It made her life much easier if they did, rather than find out she’d trained herself to be ambidextrous. She could write perfectly and neatly with both hands.

_‘I thought you were left handed?’_

_‘I can use both.’_

_‘That’s awesome!’_

_‘If you say so.’_

_‘How is being born a crime?’_

_‘I’m an Omega.’_

_‘As opposed to what?’_

_‘Alpha.’_

_‘Seriously?’_

_‘Seriously.’_

    They both had to devote their attention to the notes starting to fill the whiteboard after that, for which Jade was glad. One more thing she was saved from having to explain. The reason her parents had kept having pups despite their minimal resources what that they were hoping for an Alpha. Someone strong that could carry on their line, could forge their way higher up the food chain here. Instead they’d gotten Jade. Worse, there had been complications during her birth, and in order to save them both the doctors had had to give Wang Li an emergency caesarean section followed by an equally emergency hysterectomy. Both they and her siblings had made sure she was fully aware of just how devastating it was, learning that their last pup was not only an Omega but was the reason they’d lost their chance at producing an Alpha heir. For a time they’d looked into getting a surrogate, or even finding another Omega to bring in to act as a concubine, but even if they took out loans and a second mortgage they couldn’t afford it. So instead they’d turned their efforts to training Jade into being the ideal brood mare they could offer up to a high-ranking Alpha. When she was fifteen they’d started advertising, and by the time she was sixteen they had Lucifer Morningstar on the hook. From what they’d told her he was getting antsy, irritated at having already waited a whole year yet she still hadn’t had a heat.

    Considering how many other classes Dean had changed, Jade was a little surprised to see he was still in her gym period. She came out of the girl’s changing room, Meg wandering out just behind her and falling into step next to her. The other Omega gave her a light, playful nudge and asked, “How often do they let us run, anyway?”

    Jade gave a one shouldered shrug, arms folded over her middle as she shuffled towards a wall to stand against. “Depends,” she said quietly. “Some…sometimes once a week. Less if it’s raining.”

    Meg grinned, clasping her shoulder. “Finally warming up to me, huh?” When Jade gave her a blank look, she added, “You only stuttered once.”

    She ducked her head, blushing. “Thanks,” she mumbled. She would have to have words with Kevin. Just how much was he telling these people?

    Today it was basketball, and once more she was chosen ahead of several Alphas to be on Dean’s team, for all she and several others of the less athletically inclined spent most of their time hanging around the sidelines. At least she didn’t get in the way, which didn’t always happen. Though there was a noticeable lack of hard-thrown balls aimed her way. She opted not to question what little good fortune she was blessed with.

    Dean was still in her calculus class, too. But they were too far away to pass notes this time. Not that they would have had the chance, anyway. There was a test coming up next week, and tomorrow they had a quiz to see what they’d need to spend more time on before that. This was Jade’s strong suit, but she welcomed the extra practice. It was nice to get something right time after time for a change.

    Today _Nai-Nai_ had managed to sneak her some leftovers from the night before, dumplings over rice and a few spring rolls. She just hoped she’d have the chance to enjoy them. Getting them out of her locker was one thing, but making it to the cafeteria was another. She almost made it. Almost.

    Jade was a few paces from the nearest door when a hand dropped down onto her shoulder, yanking her back a step and shoving her into the wall of lockers. She winced, half turning to see Alistair and his buddies closing in around her, blocking her off from the rest of the students, not that anyone seemed to notice or care.

    “Hey, what ‘cha got there?” Her paper bag was yanked from her fingers. She didn’t bother reaching for it, that would just give them an excuse to start playing keep-away. Paper rustled as the brown bag was pulled open, its contents examined. “Not very creative, are you?” A Ziplock bag was opened and passed around, plastic rustling. When Alistair next spoke, it sounded like it was around a full mouth. “Who cooks this shit?” The bag was dropped to the floor, whatever was left in it stomped under a dirty shoe and ground into the linoleum tile.

    Jade wasn’t going to answer, but she did peek up when she heard someone choke. She was in time to see Benny drape an arm around Alistair’s shoulder in what seemed to be a very not-friendly fashion. Andrea was sliding between two of his goons, slipping her own arm through one of Jade’s, the female bear’s scent oddly comforting as it washed over her.

    “Hey, now, that ain’t no way to treat a lady,” Benny scolded lightly. “Ya’ll really have a problem with this kinda thing, don’t ya?”

    “Come sit with us, I need to know where to get some good fish in this town,” Andrea was saying, shouldering her way through the circle and pulling Jade through with her.

    The moment they were clear Alistair was thrown face first into the lockers, one arm twisted behind his back, the other gripping the back of his neck. Still in that same light tone Benny suggested, “Why don’t you work on those manners? I’m a gentleman, I’m gonna give you a chance to learn from your mistakes. I think you’ll recall a friend of mine who ain’t so forgiving.”

    With that Benny released his hold, following Andrea and Jade into the cafeteria.

    “Sorry about your lunch,” Andrea said ruefully. “I think we can spare some.”

    “That-that’s alright,” Jane protested. “Th-thank you, you’ve done-done enough already.”

    “Nah, we don’t mind. Dean overpacks anyhow,” Benny drawled, grinning.

    Jade soon found herself sandwiched between Andrea and Garth, a very pleased looking Kevin sitting across from her. Despite her protests she soon had a full Shifter-sized meal in front of her as everyone, both new and old friends, donated parts of their lunches. By the time they were done she had a bottle of juice, two ham sandwiches, three turkey, a baked potato, a bundle of wrapped grapes, and half a dozen cookies. All of it was delicious.

    After lunch was English, which Dean was also in. Again he snagged a seat near her, but not close enough to pass notes. He hadn’t infiltrated band, though. She was surprised to find she was a little disappointed, she had no reason to be. She’d expected relief. Instead she found herself missing his presence.

    Jade’s last class was social studies, and this time Dean took the seat in front of her. In a moment of boldness she decided to take the initiative. She took one of her own sheets of paper, quickly scribbled out, _‘Thank you for the food.’_ , and passed it up on Dean’s right side, between him and the wall.

    _‘Glad you liked it. Benny didn’t say what happened to yours.’_

_‘Good.’_

_‘Seriously?’_

_‘I am very serious. In fact I should thank Benny for his discretion.’_

    Dean half turned to give her a dirty look. Jade tried to look as innocent as possible. She’d had a lot of practice. She distinctly saw his lips twitch in a small smile as he faced forward again.

_‘How much longer until you can talk like that to my face?’_

_‘I don’t know.’_

_‘Best guess.’_

_‘A week or two.’_

_‘That long?’_

_‘I’m not used to people wanting to be my friend.’_

    Even after class started the notes continued, if in a slower, more subtle fashion. But Dean had abandoned his previous line of questioning, instead focusing on what struck her as an odd array of inquiries. Jade wasn’t sure what to make of them, but she decided to keep going.

_‘What’s your favorite color?’_

_‘Red. What’s yours?’_

_‘Green. Favorite music?’_

_‘Folk or country. Yours?’_

_‘Classic rock. Favorite food?’_

_‘Whatever I can get.’_

_‘There’s gatta be something.’_

_‘Not really. Is pie your favorite food?’_

_‘Pie’s my favorite dessert. Bacon cheeseburgers are my favorite food.’_

_‘I do like bacon.’_

_‘Everyone likes bacon.’_

_‘I don’t think vegetarians enjoy it very much.’_

_‘Yeah, but they’re weird.’_

_‘I’d hate to hear your opinion on vegans.’_

_‘Good call. Tea or coffee?’_

_‘Both. You?’_

_‘Coffee. Sky diving or bungee jumping?’_

_‘Sky diving.’_

_‘Bungee jumping. You’re never getting me onto a plane.’_

_‘Afraid to fly?’_

_‘Those things are death traps!’_

    _‘Statistically you have a better chance of dying in a car crash. Particularly if your vehicle was manufactured before the seatbelts era.’_

_‘Don’t turn this on Baby.’_

_‘It’s the truth.’_

_‘You’re mean.’_

    Jade cracked a smile to see he’d actually drawn a frowny face after the statement, for all the air he was giving off was more pouty than angry. Very unusual, to say the least. Not bad, just…odd. Now that Jade was thinking about it, this was the longest conversation she’d had with an Alpha, for all it was on paper. Every other interaction she could remember involved taunting or was more akin to an interrogation, assuming she wasn’t being told to mind her tongue or to stop stuttering on pain of punishment. What’s more, she was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that _the_ Dean Winchester was afraid of flying.

    Even so, she had mathletes after last period, she couldn’t hang around. Afterward she went by the AV room to take care of a few things before leaving with Samandriel. By then she was so preoccupied she forgot to ask him about Alpha behavior. Something she was kicking herself for before the night was out.

    Friday passed in much the same fashion, with Dean seemingly following her around and passing notes in almost every class. Little questions, mostly, but things people didn’t really ask her. Like most of her one-on-one interactions with Dean thus far, she liked it. More than she was willing to admit. Her primary concern was simply what would happen if Dean got bored, if he saw whatever it was that made everyone else think she was the ideal punching bag.

    Meg intercepted her on the way to lunch, hooking an arm through hers and pulling her over to their shared table. This time Jade found herself sitting between Meg and Charlie, the latter of whom was beaming excitedly. “They can come,” she chirped happily.

    “Great. Have fun.”

    “What about you? Do you like the Hobbit movies?”

    Jade blinked at her, a little surprised to have the perky redhead staring at her expectantly with a bright smile. Eyes drifting to Charlie’s shoulder, which was easier to talk to, she mumbled, “I, um, I like-liked the book.”

    “You’ve never seen the movies?”

    She shook her head.

    “We’re having a marathon on Saturday, since we’re _finally_ all unpacked and moved in. Wanna join? They’re coming.” She motioned across the table to Kevin, Tessa, Samandriel, and Anna. “The Hobbit, all three movies, popcorn, pizza, the whole nine.”

    “That’s over seven hours,” Meg protested.

    “I know, right?” Apparently Charlie didn’t agree with the concept of this being a negative thing. “So, you wanna come?”

    “It’ll be fun. I think you’ll like the movies,” Kevin added helpfully.

    “How am I going to get away for that?” she protested. It was easier to speak clearly when she was talking to Kevin.

    “There’s that calculus test coming up, remember? Tell them you’re spending the day at my place studying,” Kevin shrugged. “And isn’t there a paper due in English soon?”

    “Yeah, but…”

    “Please? It’ll be fun. Dean’s parents are going to be gone for the day, so we can use the big screen at their house.”

    Jade could have kicked herself when she finally managed to glace directly into Charlie’s face. It was a big mistake. Not only couldn’t she look away for a change, she also found she couldn’t say no. “I…sure.”

    Charlie beamed wider, which she hadn’t thought was possible. “Great! The first movie starts at nine.”

    “They in?” Dean asked, taking the seat opposite Charlie.

    “Yep! All five of them.”

    “Five?” Dean’s gaze fell on her even as Jade’s gaze dropped down, startled to see food starting to pool up in front of her. When had that happened?

    “Jade’s never seen the movies,” Charlie protested, sounding offended. “We’re fixing that.”

    “Awesome. They’re taking Adam with ‘em, so it’s just me and Sam. Not that we could ditch him if we tried.”

    “Come on, the little guy loves this stuff as much as you do,” Charlie chided.

    “Little?” Dean repeated incredulously. “That kid eats more than I do and he’s growing an inch every month. At this rate he’ll be bigger than me.”

    “You’re just worried he’ll eat all your popcorn,” Cas accused absently, most of his attention on his phone. “It seems Gabriel found the local candy store. How did he get there?”

    “It’s Gabriel,” Dean shrugged, opening a container. If it was anything like what the others had, it would be a small insulated cauldron of beef stew. “Tell him to get me some licorice while he’s there and we won’t rat him out.”

    “I’m not sure that’s setting a good example,” Cas grumbled at his screen.

    “What is it with you and licorice anyway? It doesn’t go well with popcorn,” Garth protested.

    “It’s the perfect movie food,” Dean defended.

    “Who…who’s Gabriel?” Jade asked quietly, glancing at Meg.

    “Cas’s little brother,” Meg said, mouth curled in a wry smile.

    “If he doesn’t get back in time for class, I’m not covering for him,” Cas stated, shoving his phone into a pocket. “And I’m not going to carry him home when his sugar rush turns into a sugar crash.”

    Dean was sitting up a bit taller, looking around the cafeteria. “Wait, have you guys seen Sammy?”

    “He’s with Gabriel,” Cas supplied, digging into his own stew.

    Green eyes snapped towards the other Alpha, narrowing. “What? Why?”

    “I don’t know, he just said Sam and some junior were with him. That’s why I’m not going after him.”

    Meg nudged Jade, grinning. “No better protection for an Omega than a Winchester.”

    “I beg your pardon?” Cas asked, eyes narrowing.

    “That includes the pack,” Meg promised, rolling her own eyes.

    Her mate harrumphed, but went back to his meal.

    “Are, um…are you coming? On Saturday?” Jade asked quietly.

    “Rain check. We have plans.”

    “Probably for the best, Mr. That-Wasn’t-In-The-Books,” Dean quipped.

    “They turned a three-hundred-page children’s book into three movies,” Cas argued. “They stretched things far beyond what they should have been, added in a great deal of new material to compensate, and it will be years before Claire can watch them.”

    Claire? She hadn’t heard that name before. One of the pack’s pups?

    “The Lord of the Rings movies were more accurate,” Charlie admitted. “But they’re still really good. Don’t listen to him.”

    Jade blinked at that, but couldn’t find something worth saying, so she didn’t. Frankly she was still adjusting to the fact she’d just agreed to essentially spending the whole day on Winchester-Campbell territory. This offense alone would earn her another hunt, at least. But, sadly, Kevin was right. She’d become very apt at getting away with things like this. She’d had to. If she left her phone at the Tran’s house, along with all her things, and made sure to roll around in Kevin’s bed to get rid of any questionable scents before going home, she was safe. They wouldn’t bother to look deeper, never had. And since she was going onto taboo turf, there was no chance of running into anyone who’d tell them.

    This also meant she couldn’t delay any longer. After school let out, Jade pulled Samandriel aside once they were in AV club, out of earshot. “Can I talk to you for a second?” she asked in a lowered voice.

    Concern flashed across his face. “Is something wrong?”

    “No, at least I don’t think so.”

    “Are you feeling weird?”

    “What?”

    “Flushed? Hot, horny, like your skin’s oversensitive?”

    Jade opened her mouth, then closed it. “What? No. What’s that supposed to mean?”

    “Oh. Those are some heat symptoms.”

    Heat rose to her cheeks. “No, that’s not it. Not yet. Actually, um, it’s about…Alphas.”

    “Okay,” Samandriel said carefully.

    “Are they always…the one you’re dating, is he…nice to you?”

    “Yeah, he’s nice to me,” he said slowly. “I wouldn’t be dating him if he wasn’t.”

    “Yeah, but I mean is he always nice? Was he like that from the start?”

    “I guess so. He’s not like Alistair if that’s what you mean.”

    Jade hesitated, then asked carefully, “Would you say he’s like Dean?”

    Understanding crossed his face. “He’s not _exactly_ like Dean, but he’s similar. He’s good to me. He takes care of me. He’s not really good at saying he loves me, but he doesn’t need to, ya know? Sometimes actions are better than words.”

    “But how did you know he was like that? How did you know it was worth the risk?”

    “I didn’t,” Samandriel admitted. “That’s the only problem. You have to be willing to run that risk before you know for sure.”

    “What made you risk it, then?”

    Samandriel considered this, fiddling with his keychain. “I don’t know,” he admitted at last. “He was just…kind to me. He seemed genuinely interested in me, which hasn’t really happened before. He was handsome, and he smelled…safe.”

    “He smelled safe?” Jade repeated carefully.

    “It’s the only way I know how to describe it,” Samandriel admitted. “But…yeah. Does he smell safe to you?”

    Honestly, she hadn’t thought about it. Though Jade had come to the conclusion she liked Dean’s scent, she’d certainly gotten enough of it these last few days. Traces of pine and leather mixed with a heady Alpha musk that was stronger than anyone else’s she’d ever inhaled. Considering his scent had sent her scurrying the first time they’d met, these days it didn’t even make her hackles rise. Just the opposite. More than once she’d caught herself relaxing as he joined her in a nearby seat, even her wolf remained at ease in his presence, which was unusual considering most Alphas put her on alert.

    “Thanks,” she said absently, shuffling over to her station and dropping into the computer chair. It still didn’t matter in the long run, she knew. She was still doomed to a long, miserable life with Morningstar, and the clock was ticking. But it would be nice to be able to spend some time with a person she actually liked. That couldn’t be much to ask for, could it? A chance to enjoy what freedom she had? Spend it with a person she cared about, that might care about her?

    Besides, as an added bonus, if she was going to try and eek out some happiness for a small sliver of time, it might as well be with someone who specialized in short-term relationships. Dean knew what he was doing, he was good at this sort of thing. And, assuming she could work herself up to it, at least she’d lose her virginity to someone she liked. Someone who’d make it enjoyable. If Morningstar was anything like her parents, and he had to be if they’d chosen him, she would not enjoy being with him in any regard. What little her mother had told her about sex had included the warning that it did indeed hurt the first time, but it was her duty to endure the pain, to focus on her Alpha’s pleasure and not her own. It would be difficult to do that if she was focusing on whatever she was feeling and not them. Granted Anna really seemed to enjoy it, but she was a Beta. Her friend had actually offered to share, to give her a better idea of the mechanics and the reality of it all, but so far Jade had always turned her down. Maybe she should take Anna up on that in the future, for all anything sexual had always made her very uncomfortable. Particularly since Meg had also seemed to very much enjoy such things, and she was an Omega herself. An Omega who, to all appearances, was happily mated to an Alpha of her own.

    They wouldn’t be there tomorrow, she’d have to wait until Monday. Meg would talk to her, right? She certainly hadn’t seemed to mind Jade witnessing their exit from the janitor’s closet, for all no one had mentioned it. She’d just like to understand a bit more besides the barest basics and how much it’d hurt. There had to be more, she knew there was, and while she didn’t want to know _everything_ , all she was asking for was a better idea of the process. Maybe how to enjoy it a little. It couldn’t be that big a request, could it?

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade was able to escape immediately after breakfast, walking halfway to Kevin’s house before he came to pick her up. She dropped her bag off at his house, and the others piled into the backseat. She knew the Winchester-Campbell pack had moved onto property just east of town, but she’d never been there. As Kevin drove she was surprised to see a newly erected fence, the paved entrance unguarded and marked by a neighborhood sign reading ‘Ramble Creek’, a smaller one that had their pack name standing beside it. It wasn’t uncommon for larger groups of Shifters, or branches of them, to take a whole neighborhood when they moved in or as they grew in size. This looked like a new neighborhood, she didn’t get out much but she didn’t remember it being here before. This also made sense, when you took into account just how big and prosperous the Winchester-Campbell’s were.

    Kevin pulled into a U-shaped driveway, outside a tan brick two-story affair that looked almost identical to all the others lining the street. Though there was a very distinctive Chevy Impala standing outside this one, along with a black pickup and blue four door. Everyone piled out, making their way to the front door. When Jade tried to hang around the back of the group, she found herself shuffled forward by an infuriatingly smug Anna. She was still trying to scuttle back to safe anonymity as Kevin stabbed the doorbell.

    It took a while for someone to answer. He’d hit the doorbell again, and Jade was jamming her fingers into Samandriel’s very ticklish side in an attempt to get him to stop blocking her, when it finally swung open. She looked up, frozen, only to feel her face go hot.

    “Hey, sorry. Adam decided it’d be an awesome idea to put pudding in water balloons. They’re making him clean up out back. Guess they didn’t hear the bell. You gonna come in?”

    “Only if you’re going to put some clothes on,” Kevin protested, sounding very offended.

    Jade knew she should probably look away, it was probably the polite thing to do, but she found she couldn’t. Dean had pulled open the door, but except for a towel knotted around his hips he was completely naked. Every single dip and curve was bare or just barely concealed, planes of lightly tanned pale skin with a dash of freckles on display. A narrow line of golden-brown hair, as damp as what was on his head, began at his navel and disappeared under the towel. She’d guessed how strong he was, felt it, but she’d never actually seen that muscle in his human form. Every single one, from broad shoulders to surprisingly robust calves, was toned and glinting. He must have just gotten out of the shower, his hair was damp and ruffled, all that prominent muscle practically glowing, but he smelled mouthwateringly clean, which she hadn’t known was possible.

    Was it normal to want to lick someone else’s body? It couldn’t be normal, could it? Yet here she was, likely turning ten shades of red, unable to look away even as she imagined what it would be like to run her tongue up all six abdominal muscles and both pectoral muscles. Oh gods was she a pervert? Kissing at least was normal, and that did sound very nice, but what about the licking? And what would they even taste like? How did he get a tan that even, anyway? Shirtless training outside? Great, she _really_ didn’t need that image right now.

    “Hey, the human form is a beautiful thing,” Dean was saying. “Like you haven’t seen anyone naked before.”

    “I haven’t seen _you_ naked and I want to keep it that way,” Kevin informed him sharply.

    Dean didn’t appear to be in any hurry to get inside, but his eyes narrowed as someone came running around the side of the house. In a heartbeat he was stalking towards them. “No way you got that off the house that fast!”

    “I’m getting the hose!”

    “What’re you going to do with that?” Dean demanded, pointing at the bulging purple balloon being hefted by a blond haired, blue eyed pup. At a guess Jade pegged him at about twelve.

    Said pup grinned impishly, standing ten feet away from the Impala, arm cocked for a throw. “Mom said to get rid of it. I’m getting rid of it.”

    “You throw that, you’re dead.”

    The pup grinned a bit wider, drew his arm back a bit more, then threw. Dean broke into a run, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. The purple balloon exploded over the back of the Impala’s hood, splattering shredded rubber and what appeared to be chocolate pudding. Already the pup was sprinting away, dashing towards the street.

    “Son of a _bitch!”_

    Somewhere between the car and the road, whatever knot Dean had put in his towel came loose and it fluttered to the ground. The Alpha just kept running after a cackling pup. Jade’s heart sank even as she slapped a hand over her eyes, face going an extra three shades of red, Kevin heaving a dramatic sigh. Someone, she suspected Anna, gave a wolf whistle of appreciation. Moments later she heard a shriek, likely as the pup was caught.

    “Dean! Bring him back,” a woman called.

    Turning her head, Jade peeked through her fingers in time to see a woman with long blond hair marching around the house. Carefully turning her head to follow the woman’s progress, Jade watched as she snagged Dean’s lost towel from the grass and twisted it into a rat tail with what looked suspiciously like practiced ease. She quickly closed the gap between her fingers when Dean came into sight again, flinching sympathetically when there was a sharp crack followed by a yelp.

    “What’d I do?” Dean protested indignantly.

    “You’re running around naked where everyone can see you, that’s what,” the woman quipped. “You’re the oldest, you’re supposed to set an example. Get back inside, both of you.”

    “But Mom- “

    “Now.”

    “Okay, okay, I’m going.”

    “Put me down!”

    “Adam, when I said get rid of it, I did not mean for you to throw it at your brother’s car. Put him down so he can wash that too.”

    “Mom- “

    “Now. We’re not leaving until you do.” Mary cut off Adam’s whining protests. “We have guests, this is no way for either of you to behave.”

    Bare feet slapped passed them, marching back into the house. A moment later Mary said in a softer tone, “Sorry about my boys. You can look now.”

    Jade peeked over her fingers again, and found herself looking into Mary’s kindly smile. She hurridly dropped her hands, embarrassed yet again, but carefully reached out to clasp the elder Omega’s offered hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mary, and you are….”

    “Jade,” she said quietly, dropping her gaze respectfully.

    “Jade.” Mary released her hand, moving through the rest of their group. Once the introductions were done she bundled them into the house, directing them to the living room. “Dean should be down once he’s dressed. I’ll start the popcorn. Movies are on the coffee table.”

    “Thanks,” Kevin called, picking up the box set.

    “Are they always like that?” Jade asked carefully once the microwave was humming.

    “He doesn’t usually streak if that’s what you mean,” Kevin said absently, fishing out the first DVD. If he was going to continue he was interrupted by the doorbell, which Mary promptly answered.

    By the time three large bowls of popcorn were done Benny, Andrea, Garth, and Charlie had arrived and Dean had come back downstairs to join them, helping his mother bring in an assortment of snacks and drinks. He was still barefoot, but now he was clad in a pair of low-slung jeans that were ratty at the cuffs and knees, leaving a teasingly narrow strip of skin between the waistband and the hem of a snug Black Sabbath t-shirt. Just as fascinating to her, if in a different fashion, was how he behaved around his mother. The blond Omega was shorter than him, far less physically imposing, for all she had a maternal air about her. Something Jade’s own mother was forever lacking. Her siblings treated her with minor deference, but only because their father ordered them to respect his obedient mate. Even then she’d seen Lee hit their mother once. Granted their father had come down on him for it later, but unless Jade had missed something it had only ben for hitting his mate, which only he was allowed to do.

    Dean did not behave like her siblings in the least. Well, he hadn’t anyway, but he wasn’t any different at home. He respected his mother, loved her, she could see it. In the way he looked at her, the way he obeyed her even if it was things like “get the door” or helping to bring in sodas without prompting. When John came inside, a broad shouldered man with black hair and a beard, he stood by his mate and slid an arm around her waist as she went through who was who in a brisk fashion.

    He nodded politely, greeted them, and turned his attention to his mate. “We’d better get going. Is Adam almost done?”

    “He should be. I’ll go check.”

    The movie’s menu was coming up as she slipped out of John’s hold, going out front. Dean flopped onto the couch, snagging a packet of licorice from the coffee table with a grin and ripping it open. Jade hesitated, unsure where to sit as people began plopping down here or there. Benny dropped into a beanbag chair by the coffee table hard enough to make her wince. Andrea perched sideways on his lap, snagging one of the popcorn bowls which they promptly began to munch on. Kevin, Tessa, and Samandriel squeezed onto a loveseat after Kevin grabbed another bowl, passing some drinks down their line. Before Jade could make for the currently unoccupied corner, Anna grabbed her shoulders and began marching her forward. She didn’t get the chance to protest before she found herself being pushed down onto a section of the couch…right next to Dean. She sat perfectly still, frozen in place, staring in a somewhat horrified fashion up at Anna, who looked infuriatingly smug as she snagged one of the soda cans from the coffee table and daintily dropped into the corner she herself had been eyeing.

    Either Dean was oblivious to the Omega imitating a statue on his right, or he chose to ignore it. As the movie began to play he just looked at her and offered her the bag, half a stick of licorice sticking out of his lips as he chewed on it. “Want some?” he asked, mouth full.

    “No thank you.” It was more a squeak than not, but she didn’t stutter so she counted it as a win. He just shrugged, turning his attention back to the screen.

    Ignoring the Alpha radiating heat, and no small amount of untainted musk, mere inches from her side wasn’t easy. But she was able to ignore him enough to give a majority of her attention to the movie. The more she watched, the more she relaxed. Gandalf and Bilbo and Frodo, people from a world that was familiar and safe, relatively speaking.

    She was so relaxed that when Dean traded his licorice for a popcorn bowl and offered her some, she helped herself without thinking. Even when their fingers brushed in a bowl that Sam, who was to Dean’s left, occasionally snagged a handful from.

    Someone ordered pizza while Kevin was switching the discs out for the second movie. The deliveryman showed up carrying a stack of six boxes, which the Shifters quickly descended upon. For reasons unknown to Jade there was much bickering over the last slice of pineapple with extra cheese, and she thought for sure Benny and Sam were going to come to blows over the only remaining slice of peperoni before Dean defused the situation. Granted he did this by eating it himself, but the results were just as effective.

    She couldn’t remember the last time she was so at ease in such a large group of people. Unfortunately when she realized this she tensed up again, once more acutely aware of the walking space heater still radiating a clean Alpha scent. Oh gods now she was touching him. When had he moved closer? Or had she been the one to move? How had she not noticed sooner?

    Only half her attention was on the movie at this point, watching as Bilbo broke his companions out of Elvin jail. Samandriel’s words came back to her, about how an Alpha could smell safe. It hadn’t made sense at the time, but Samandriel didn’t make such recommendations lightly. He knew what Jade endured every day, he’d set broken bones more than once when she’d limped to his place. It was closer than Kevin’s, but his parents weren’t quite as understanding as Ms. Tran. They took one look at bruises and thought brawl, and suddenly you were labeled a bad influence.

    Jade hesitated, then turned her nose towards the Alpha slightly and took a slow, deep breath. Her head was suddenly swamped with pine and leather and pizza and _Dean._ She blinked rapidly, and was startled when she noticed her body relaxing. The Omega couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but now that she was looking for it she was startled to realize Samandriel had been right. Dean smelled like various things, but if she had to pick an emotion, ‘safe’ came the closest. She hadn’t even been aware it was possible without some degree of stretching.

    Just how much sense did this make? How could something, never mind a person, smell safe? Yet here she was, relaxing and nibbling on popcorn, her shoulder touching a very firm bicep. When she dared an occasional peek over Dean always seemed to be focusing on the movie or grumbling about Sam eating all the popcorn. Since he’d come downstairs his shirt had ridden up a bit more, leaving a wider strip of skin visible, along with a glimpse of that line of golden brown hair that disappearing into his jeans. He seemed at ease, one arm thrown over the back of the couch behind his brother, posture relaxed.

    What was wrong with her? First the licking now this? Did that line of hair have a name? Did all males have it or just a few? No, focus, now was not the time.

    Eventually Jade decided to just focus on the movies. She really had wanted to see them, and so far she was enjoying them as much as she was the company, which was unusual. She could wonder over the semantics and philosophy later. Right now, just enjoy the moment, something she didn’t get to do very often.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Going commando was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. In the moment he’d been in a rush, grabbing the first clothes to hand. As it was he didn’t always put on underwear if he was just going to be hanging around the house, and he was a little worried about what might happen if the newly acquired locals were left alone with his mother for too long. Last time he’d dragged his feet she’d busted out the baby pictures.

    By the time Dean had the epiphany that boxer briefs would help contain a hard-on better than just a very worn layer of denim, it was too little too late. In his defense it hadn’t occurred to him it would be an issue. Anna, who he was learning had an unfortunate impish streak, had pushed Jade onto the seat next to him. While he was grateful, having her scent, her warmth, _right there_ was more tempting than he’d given her credit for. It didn’t help that his wolf was even more acutely aware of her than his weaker human senses. He could control it while they were in school. There were too many other scents swamping his nose, too many distractions, she wasn’t as close, plus they were never really touching. Now he was at home, in his territory, and Jade’s scent was assaulting his senses no matter what he ate or how many people were in the room. At some point as they moved from one movie to the next, eating pizza and popcorn, they’d gotten even closer. Her shoulder was against him, her body relaxed from the statue-like posture she’d maintained when Anna had first gotten her here. He wasn’t sure whether to thank the Beta or damn her for this. Maybe if Jade didn’t look down he’d settle on thanking her.

    If they were alone it’d be simpler. Or even if it were dark. Everyone’s attention was on the TV, which helped, but Jade was so skittish as it was. It was a step up that she was relaxed, which was pleasing. He could walk in and sit next to her in any classroom and she wouldn’t stiffen, would stay calm in his presence. She still didn’t talk much directly, for all they still passed notes, but yesterday she’d gotten a whole sentence out without stuttering. They were making progress, he just had to be patient. If the atmosphere was more in his favor he might see how she’d do with physical contact, but right now it was too public. Well, it wasn’t for him, but for her it would be. Of that he was sure. Otherwise he’d already have an arm around her, maybe see how she reacted to being closer, to more direct contact.

    Normally the chase was just as fun as reaping the benefits, but…he didn’t mind that this was turning into a long haul. The more he learned the more he was intrigued. She loved spicy food, but she hated the flavor of coconut with same passion he turned on rabbit food. She was ambidextrous, she liked documentaries but she wasn’t a fan of history class, she loved music but refused to dance, she was allergic to crab but loved shrimp. He’d kept all the notes they’d passed back and forth, in a rapidly growing collection inside a shoebox under his bed.

    Granted it hadn’t taken him long to realize she was willing to share all sorts of little things, but he’d noticed anything family related was quickly shut down. Beyond the basics, two brothers and one sister, her grandmother lived with them, she was born here but her family was from a province he couldn’t pronounce in China, nothing. He still hadn’t figured out why her dinosaur of a phone was off limits, or why just about everyone seemed to make a sport of picking on her. At least that last one he’d been able to put a stop to. He’d been pleased when he hadn’t had to tell his pack anything, they’d started intervening on their own. Jade, just like Kevin and the rest of their small group, were essentially adopted into the pack’s ranks. Meaning they were afforded the same degree of protection. She was safe, or at least she was from anyone who valued their wellbeing.

    Meaning he was now free to focus more of his attention on the little things. Like how her scent was alternately calming and a turn on. How she gnawed on her upper lip and raked her hair behind her right ear when she was focusing on a problem, left hand rapidly flipping a pencil back and forth. How her face turned pink from neck to hairline whenever she was flustered, which was as adorable as her stutter for all he was working to rid her of it. And, at the moment, how she leaned forward a bit when her attention was on something she found intriguing. Apparently she really liked how they’d portrayed Smaug.

    They broke for a brief break after the second movie, stretching and making trips to the bathroom. Dean sat up, ruffling Sam’s mop of brown hair and grinning as his hand was smacked away. He was about to lean forward and poke Benny to see if he’d really managed to sleep through Smaug’s preening when Jade stood up so fast he almost looked to see if something had bit her. But then she was puttering around, gathering up paper plates and empty popcorn bowls. Feeling galvanized into action Dean got to his feet, stacking empty pizza boxes.

    “You don’t have to do that.”

    “I don’t mind,” she mumbled, somehow managing to hold three bowls and a dozen plates plus four boxes she’d beaten him to.

    “That’s not really the point,” he argued, following her into the kitchen. She dropped the paper plates into the trash, set the bowls by the sink, set down the pizza boxes on one counter, then started flicking unpopped kernels into the trash before depositing the bowls into the sink.

    Somewhere through this process Dean noticed that, despite how quick and efficient her movements were, they seemed robotic. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but her eyes almost seemed glazed. Like she was operating on habit more than intent.

    “Hey. Hey, Jade, look at me.”

    She only stopped when he said her name, half turning towards him. She still didn’t meet his eyes, though. Dean came around, making sure he was in her line of sight as he put a hand on her shoulder. Emboldened when she didn’t pull away, didn’t flinch, he lifted his free hand to gently tip up her chin until he caught her gaze. It wasn’t something he’d gotten to see very often, to say the least. It finally occurred to him that her eyes were such a dark brown they almost looked black.

    “It ain’t on you to do this, okay? You’re a guest, and even if you weren’t it ain’t your job. You’re not anybody’s maid. Just…relax. You do know how to relax, right?”

    Her eyes narrowed slightly, but to his delight didn’t drop even after he lowered his hand. “I know how to relax,” she protested. Quiet, yes, but steady. Win!

    “Prove it,” he challenged, smirking.

    “I’m not sure that’s how it works.”

    “How do you know?”

    “I can relax,” she protested.

    “You know you’re doing it right now, right?”

    “What are you talking about?”

    “We’re finally having a normal, verbal conversation.”

    Jade’s mouth clamped shut as she blinked rapidly. She opened it again, but nothing came out. As she hurridly closed it again Dean groaned.

    “Oh come on, I didn’t tell you so you could clam up again,” he complained.

    Her gaze, which had already slid passed his ear, plummeted to the floor. Her hair fell forward, half shielding her face, hands curling in the hem of her shirt. She was starting to shuffle around him, making for the exit. Damn it.

    “Hey, wait,” he protested, softening his tone as he caught her wrist gently. Not for the first time it hit him just how _tiny_ they were, like if he gripped them too hard they’d break. He tried not to think about how likely it was someone already had. You didn’t flinch as easily as she did without abuse. It was part of why he was willing to go so slow, he was afraid of what would happen if he pushed her too hard too fast.

    Jade stopped in her tracks, but didn’t recoil at his touch, nor did she lift her head.

    “I’m sorry. I’m just pulling your leg, you’re doing fine. You shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you wanna go home early I can take you home- “

    “No!” she blurted, head jerking up to stare at him with wide eyes, twisting to grasp his arm.

    His hackles went up as fear scent spiked, a growl sounding in his wolf’s chest. Only a crap-ton of practice on his part kept it out of his human throat, for all he was tempted. She’d gone from calm to scared in a heartbeat. He didn’t like it, but he could hardly protect her if he didn’t know what was wrong.

    “No, it-it’s fine, you don-don’t-don’t have to do th-that. Don’t-don’t do that, please…please, they…my family doesn’t-doesn’t know I-I’m here. They can-can’t know.”

    “Easy, easy, it’s okay,” he urged, trying to calm her down, gently grasping her shoulders. “It’s okay. No one’s going to tell them anything. I’ll make sure of it. What, they still pissed at us or something?”

    Jade wavered, eyes flicking back and forth as she thought. “I don’t…I just-I just know they don’t want me-me near you. Most-mostly your pack, but…but you too.”

    “Why? What’d I do?”

    “Nothing.”

    “So, what?”

    “Complicated,” she mumbled to the floor.

    “I got time.”

    “Very…very complicated.”

    Dean grimaced. It was bad enough her stammer was back, now this. He’d figured her family was weird, probably on the violent side, but nothing like this.

    “Hey, Jade? Can you look at me?”

    It seemed to take visible effort, but after a moment she was able to drag her gaze up bit by bit until he could catch it again.

    “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m not gonna make you. But I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”

    A bitter smile tugged at lips that quivered slightly. “That’s okay. I don’t…no one can.”

    Dean remembered the first time he’d been on the wrong end of a direct kick to the chest. He’d been five, his opponent had been thirteen, and he’d been knocked onto his ass. The bruise had taken a full day to heal. But it was nothing compared to the painful tightening in his chest as those words sunk in, Jade stepping out of his hold and disappearing back into the living room.

    Jaw tightening, he followed her stiffly, but didn’t go back to the couch. Instead he caught Kevin by the arm, dragging him down the hall and out of earshot. He didn’t realize how tight he was gripping the Omega until he heard Kevin protest.

    “Ow, Dean, what the hell?”

    He let go hurridly, pacing away and jamming both hands back through his hair. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to get her scent, her fear scent, out of his head. He _hated_ that scent.

    “Dean? You okay?” Kevin asked uncertainly.

    Turning to face him the Alpha bit out, “What the hell is happening over there? You’ve known her longer, I know you know.”

    Kevin grimaced. “We’ve been over this, I can’t- “

    Dean turned, putting a fist through the nearest wall, making Kevin jump.

    “Jeez! What’s got you pissed?”

    Damn it, Mom was going to have his head for this. He’d promised to try avoiding putting holes in their new walls. He shook plaster off his hand, pacing to the far end of Dad’s home office and back again. He genuinely hadn’t noticed which room he’d pushed Kevin into. They’d probably both come down on him for this. Fucking perfect.

    When he was sure he could speak in a calmer fashion he turned back to Kevin. “She’s scared, don’t try to tell me she ain’t. She’s scared and she don’t see a way out. From what I can tell you guys are the only reason she ain’t alone on top of it. Anybody else they’d age out when they hit eighteen, but she doesn’t see that light. So what the hell kinda shit is that pathetic excuse for a pack pulling on her?”

    “If I could tell you I would,” Kevin protested. “Believe me, I’m not any happier about this than you are, but we’re doing all we can. Part of that is keeping her secrets secret.”

    “I ain’t asking for them all, just the one that’s got her…”

    “Thinking no one can help,” Kevin finished grimly. “I know. But that’s the one she hates the most. It has to be her that tells you. I’m sorry, Dean.”

    “Go start the movie,” he bit out stiffly, jerking a thumb at the doorway. If he didn’t let Kevin go now he’d do something he regretted. He knew it was bad if he was seriously considering using the Alpha’s Voice. Technically he could, he knew he could, but Dad had been very specific. Never use it if you didn’t have to, and never under any circumstances use it just because you were pissed. It was an emergency use only tool. The one time Dean had been on the receiving end of it himself had been when he was four years old, and he hadn’t even known it at the time. Some Beta who’d taken offense to something Dean couldn’t even remember had set their house on fire one night. John had passed a six-month-old Sam to him and ordered him to _run._ He’d made it out of the house and across the street before turning to look back. He’d been in time to see John sprinting out of the house just before the doorway collapsed, Mary in his arms. He’d found out later one of the Molotov cocktails, thrown through three different windows and covered with silver, had hit Mary as she’d gotten up to investigate a sound outside. While silver wasn’t deadly in low concentrations, and as long as it didn’t reach anything vital, it had knocked her out cold. If John hadn’t ordered them out, he wouldn’t have had time to get everyone out of the house in time. They’d later found the Beta’s body torn to shreds outside his apartment. Charges hadn’t been pressed.

    Knowing that, remembering living through it, why the hell was he fighting the urge to use it now? He liked her, wanted to help her, but he hadn’t expected to feel so vehement about it so soon. About _her_ so soon. He cared about his partners, sure, but they never got this deep. What made Jade so different?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80 and HenriaSownbinder!

    Jade hadn’t asked when Kevin had rejoined them, nor when Dean finally came back in twenty minutes later. They didn’t say and she didn’t ask. She’d already repositioned herself, putting herself squarely between one corner of the couch and Charlie, whom she was warming up to quite well.

    It was getting late by the time they left. Kevin and Anna both rubbed their coats all over her before she rolled back and forth through the other Omega’s sheets, removing any scent trace from the Winchester-Campbell’s pack. When she got home no one batted an eye, beyond the obligatory complaining that she’d been gone all day.

    She had hoped that that had been the conclusion to her exciting week. It had been far more than she was used to, leaving her drained. When she finally made it to bed that night, she fell asleep hard and fast.

    Her wish held true for about eight hours. That was roughly how much time she had before Li Jun came looking for her the next morning. They’d finished their breakfast already, and she was drying the last of her pans as her mother finished sipping her morning coffee when he marched into the kitchen.

 _“Put that down, go clean the house then clean yourself up,”_ he snapped, grabbing her arm and pushing her towards the doorway.

    _“But I’m not- “_

_“Now!”_

    Jade ducked out of the kitchen, but hesitated once she was out of sight to listen.

    _“Why? She was almost done.”_

_“Morningstar contacted me. He’s been in San Francisco on business, he’s arranged for a layover in Lawrence. He wants to see her.”_

    _“Now? With so little warning?”_ her mother protested, voice raising a few octaves as Jade’s stomach plummeted.

_“Yes, now! We should have expected something like this sooner.”_

_“Do you think he’s getting impatient?”_

_“I suppose we’ll find out. If she doesn’t have her heat by the time she graduates we’ll have to induce her.”_

_“I thought that was illegal here.”_

_“It is, but I still have contacts. I can get enough serum to do the job.”_

    Jade felt sick as she lurched away, padding quietly down the stairs to the basement. She closed the door to her room, bracing her back against it and clamping both hands over her mouth. Only then did she let her buckling knees give way, slowly sinking down to the floor. Oh gods she was going to be sick. She didn’t know what was worse, realizing she was about to come face to face to the Alpha who’d bought her or hearing her own parents were prepared to induce a premature heat.

    The first was bad enough, for all she’d known she’d have to meet him soon enough. Jade had just hoped she wouldn’t have to until after she had her heat. While Morningstar had quite literally bought her, for all it was labeled as a bride price for legality purposes, he hadn’t seen her yet. Not in person. She’d seen the details, they hadn’t bothered to hide it from her after the contract was signed. Not only would they get instalments for the next nineteen years, but they’d already been getting them for the last one, in the form of money and stocks that had apparently been quite profitable. Should she produce pups, there would be an increase for each one.

    At least she’d already known all this. It wasn’t a surprise. But this? Inducing a heat was bad enough, hence why most countries had made it illegal. Induced heats were shorter than normal ones, but they were more erratic, more intense, more miserable. Inducing a heat when the Omega in question hadn’t had one yet carried the additional risk of complications. It could last a few days, it could last a week or more, dehydration to the point of hospitalization and nausea bad enough they couldn’t keep anything down. Many of those who endured a prematurely induced heat needed induction for any future heats, if they could have anymore at all. And those were just the risks she remembered off the top of her head.

    But they were willing to do that to her. The papers were already signed, it was done, and while heats helped an Omega didn’t need one to get pregnant. Meaning she could still be useful to Morningstar even if the initial heat were her last. They were willing to risk that, not to mention dozens of other potential problems, all because they were afraid he wasn’t going to be patient enough.

    Only when she was sure she wasn’t going to lose what little breakfast she’d gotten did Jade stand on shaky legs, leaving her room and crossing the basement to where they kept cleaning supplies. She’d already cleaned the house this week, but she hurridly went about dusting everything before busting out the vacuum. At least since it was mostly already done it was easier to get everything done quickly. Dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the windows, straightening, organizing, then she tried to help _Nai-Nai_ and Mindy in the kitchen. Her sister had no idea what she was doing, it was painful to watch and Jade was honestly worried someone would lose a finger if she continued to wave that knife around. But she’d barely begun to help _Nai-Nai_ make preparations for a traditional meal before her mother materialized, snatching up an apron and sending her away with orders to clean herself up. She also added that Jade was only to come out when summoned, when Morningstar got there.

    Reluctantly Jade thumped down the stairs to her room, trudging to the armoire that served her as a closet. After no small amount of consideration she decided on one of the most modest of Mindy’s hand-me-down dresses, which had never been worn before it’d been passed down to Jade. The navy-blue skirt just covered her knees, flowing freely down from her waist, the bodice snug but with short sleeves and a simple, white sailor’s collar tied in a knot just below her collar bone. A white ribbon was tied off in a bow at her left hip, two narrow white strips adorning the hem. She was fond of the style, she thought it was cute, but she hadn’t worn it because Mindy had complained it had played to the Asian porno stereotype. Jade didn’t understand the reference, anymore than she understood why Mindy had bought it if she didn’t like it, but she knew enough to realize looking like a porno stereotype was bad. She wouldn’t be leaving the house in it, and modesty was always the best policy for things like this, she knew.

    Jade set out the dress, and a pair of white sandals that were only a size too big, before going upstairs to shower. It seemed as good a way as any to start the process, and give the impression she was being thorough. She was going to have to really drag it out, considering they only had a ballpark for Morningstar’s arrival, and even that was still well over an hour away. She was rubbing conditioner into her hair when it occurred to Jade that she wasn’t going to be sprucing herself up because she wanted to. She wanted Morningstar to like what he saw because it might make her life more bearable, not because she wanted to impress him. But she’d have to, one way or another.

    She’d moved on to scrubbing herself down as she came to the conclusion that, if she was going to have the results she wanted, she couldn’t be in the mindset of prepping herself for meeting Morningstar. Maybe like she was preparing herself for a first date. A first date for someone she really liked. Jade froze mid-scrub when Dean’s face came to her mind’s eye, which she quickly pushed back down. Nope, she didn’t like entertaining unreachable fantasies. Then again, treating this like she was getting ready for a date with Dean would have the desired results.

    This mindset quickly bore fruit. She was about to get out of the shower when it occurred to her that shaving would be an excellent way to take up more time, particularly if she didn’t rush, and it would be an approved preparation method. She took her sweet time, then put on lotion, then reached for Mindy’s hair dryer. Jade enjoyed the distinct pleasure of hearing her sister bang on the door, shouting angrily at her for ‘touching her stuff’ only to be berated by their mother. Jade allowed herself a small smile at her reflection, running her brush through her hair as she ran the stream of hot hair over it.

    Jade didn’t wear makeup often, but she did have a small stash Mindy wasn’t allowed to touch. Much like the equally small assortment of jewelry she had in her room, their mother had designated them as necessities that were investments into her future. Which just so happened to also be their financial future.

    She picked through the assortment of tubes and containers, then began the slow process of carefully applying a modest amount of makeup. A little concealer here, a little powder there, so on and so forth. The result was hardly the mask Mindy wore when she was done putting on makeup in the mornings, but Jade liked her own face a little less…masklike.

    Wrapped in a towel, Jade poked her head out of the bathroom door. Once assured the coast was clear, she hurried down the stairs and shut herself in her room. She got into the dress, buckling on the shoes before opening the shoebox atop the armoire, sitting down on the edge of her bed to go through it. She didn’t remember getting her ears pierced, apparently her mother had taken her in for it when she was about a year old. Generally she just wore basic studs, which was just as well. The one time she’d tried something dangly Mindy had nearly yanked them out of her ears. Shifters wouldn’t even bother to begin with, but then there was a reason their kind was considered the only tangible proof magic was present in this world. Unlike Shifters, witches and the like weren’t exactly out, as it were. They were real, _Nai-Nai_ had known several back in China, and supposedly there were magic workers here too, but Jade hadn’t met any of the American ones yet. If anyone asked she didn’t know any, though. Like most of the world’s population, magic’s only proof was that anything on a Shifter’s person seemed to vanish when they went from human to beast, then reappear when they changed back.

    After some debate she decided to maintain her standard of simplicity, taking out a set of small brass lotus studs. Next she took out a small pendent, running her finger over its engraved surface. _Nai-Nai_ had given it to her when she’d turned thirteen, the same age she’d been when her mother had given it to her, and her mother before her. Including her the pendant had been passed through eight generations of Omegas, _Nai-Nai_ had only held onto it because she’d had three sons, two Betas and an Alpha, her father. She’d waited for an Omega descendant to pass it on to. It was the size of a silver dollar, a ring of pale green jade etched in the shape of a dragon, strung on a leather thong.

    Jade hadn’t worn it much since getting it. When _Nai-Nai_ had first given it to her she’d worn it proudly every day, but in less than a week Mindy had yanked it from her neck and announced it would be hers from then on. Her own protests were ignored, but after his mother had impressed upon him the importance of tradition Li Jun had made Mindy return it. Such a thing had only happened once in her life, and she wasn’t banking it on happening again.

    After some deliberation Jade tied it around her neck, shortening it so the pendant hung at the base of her throat, just above her dress’s collar. She would just wear it today, until Morningstar was gone. However she felt about most of her family, she wasn’t ashamed of her heritage. If he was going to mate her, he might as well know he wasn’t just getting a cookie-cutter Asian Omega. Yes, alright, so she just happened to fall into a few stereotypes. So what? She was good at math, and she enjoyed it. She only dressed so conservatively to please her parents and because those were the only hand-me-downs she actually liked. They were on the lower side of middle class here, but to bring so many people to another country to start a new life wasn’t cheap. Alright so they just so happened to fall into a few stereotypes, but it was luck, nothing more. She wasn’t holding out much hope that Morningstar would see this, but it was worth a shot.

    The last thing Jade did was her hair, brushing the bottom part to fall flat down her back while brushing the upper parts straight back, pulling them into a braid that she coiled at the base of her skull. Bobby pins held the bundle in place, but she also slid in two decorative pins with red fake flowers on the ends. Also presents from _Nai-Nai_ , but by then she’d been smart enough to hide them.

    Jade was going back over some homework when she heard the doorbell toll overhead. She went still, then slowly stowed the papers with unsteady fingers. Sucking in a deep breath, she stood and smoothed out her skirt, wishing she had an actual mirror to check her work.

   She heard feet scurry overhead, pounding in multiple directions, then the door opened as Li Jun greeted Morningstar. The Omega couldn’t make out exact words, but she could pinpoint the lower base of her father’s voice, and an unfamiliar second male voice. Both made their way inside, towards the living room.

    She was trying so hard to hear what it was they were saying she jumped when her door swung open, her mother waving her forward urgently. _“He’s upstairs. Come on!”_

    Jade was practically dragged up the stairs only to be jerked to a stop at their top. Her mother fussed with her dress, straightening her collar a bit, checking her hair, examining her makeup. After no small amount of scrutiny Wang Li sucked in a deep breath.

 _“It’ll have to do. Head high, back straight, but don’t you dare look him in the eye.”_ With that her mother, also made up and in a nice western style dress, reentered the living room. Jade could just make out her movements as she bowed, hands clasped before her, and announced, “Mr. Morningstar, may I introduce my daughter, Li Jing.”

    Swallowing tight around a bundle of nerves, Jade stepped into the living room at her mother’s side, eyes on the carpet for all she itched to finally catch a glimpse of the man who was to be her mate. She mimicked Wang Li’s bow, opting to keep her mouth shut. Perhaps she should greet him verbally, but she also knew there was no chance she’d open her mouth and not stutter. Besides, hadn’t her parents been insisting Omegas should be seen and not heard for years?

    “You said you gave your kids American names?” a man’s voice drawled.

    _English,_ Jade corrected silently. _Or Western. America isn’t the only country to speak English._

    “Jade,” her father supplied promptly.

    “Jade, come over here. Let’s have a look.”

    Mutely Jade came forward, putting one stiff foot in front of the other. From what she could tell Morningstar was seated on their couch, her father on the loveseat opposite it, her mother going to perch next to him. She stopped what she hoped to be a respectful distance away, by the coffee table. From this distance she could look under her lashes enough to make out long legs sheathed in black slacks and shiny black shoes. A bit higher was a loosened tie paired with an untucked white button down. Had he gone directly from whatever meeting he’d been in to the airport? What kind of meeting was on a Sunday?

    “Give us a spin.” One hand lifted, twirling a finger in the air.

    Feeling more uncomfortable than ever, Jade obeyed. She turned in a stiff circle, eyes still downcast.

    “Now the other way.”

    Jade had just turned around again, as ordered, when her father spoke up. “She’s maturing nicely. She hasn’t grown any in nearly two years, I’m afraid, but she’s had time to fine tune other skills in that time.”

    “What kind of skills?”

    “She’s a competent cook, she’s maintained a straight-A average all through high school, and she’s been practicing tending our pack’s pups.”

    Jade winced inwardly at that last one. It hadn’t happened recently, thankfully, but the pack had a very bad habit of simply dumping their pups on her whenever the whim struck them. This wouldn’t be so bad, but she’d always felt like she was all thumbs with babies and the like. This was bad enough, but once they started walking and talking they quickly caught on to how little regard their parents had for her and followed suit. It was truly depressing, being treated by a two-year-old in the same fashion as her own family. Yet somehow she was incompetent for not being able to make them finish their homework, go to bed on time, or eat their vegetables. It had ensured the idea of ever having pups was both terrifying and nerve-wracking to the point of nausea whenever she thought about it too hard.

    “Good! Haven’t had any luck yet, but if you’re mated your chances go up. I’m one of the last in my family line, I need to bolster that gene pool. It’ll be nice not to have to outsource to tutors or cooks along the way. You mentioned AV club, too?”

    “Of course. She has a variety of skills you should find useful.”

    “Nice. Come here.”

    Before Jade could begin to wonder what he meant by that, a hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her down onto the Alpha’s lap. Her eyes widened, jerking towards him before quickly dropping again. Her entire body was ridged, perched uncomfortably on Morningstar’s thighs, which seemed oddly bony. One hand stayed on her wrist, the other going to her waist. Her wolf, who’d been on pins and needles since they’d been informed of this visit, growled and urged them to retreat. Morningstar’s presence made her uneasy, their hackles rising. What’s more, his scent was not appealing in the least. Traces of sulfur swirling with an Alpha musk that was too strong, too bitter, the overall effect being unpleasant and decidedly…wrong. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was no other way to describe it. On top of that there was a distinct burning scent that seemed to cling to him, like that time she’d accidently scorched herself getting a hot pan out of the oven.

    “Quiet, I like it. People are talking my ear off all day, coming home to this will be a relief.”

    Fingers gripped her chin, turning her face first one way, then the other. She could _feel_ his eyes on her, scrutinizing every fault. After a moment of this he released her, fingers that didn’t smell like they’d been washed in a while going to her hair, rubbing a lock between thumb and forefinger, sniffing it before stroking it out.

    It took every bit of Jade’s finely-honed self-control not to scramble from Morningstar’s lap when he gripped the side of her neck, unceremoniously thrusting his nose into her scent glands. Her wolf urged them to run, to flee, this wasn’t safe. It wasn’t right, he was dangerous, he wasn’t safe. Jade’s fingers clasped tightly in her lap, and she held her breath in hopes that removing the assault on her nose would make this easier to bear.

    It did, barely. Meanwhile Morningstar was withdrawing, making a thoughtful sound in his throat. “You, my dear, smell divine. Mmm, mind giving us a moment?”

    The phrase was a question, but it didn’t sound like one. Without a word her parents stood, retreating to the next room. Once they were gone, Morningstar’s fingers absently picked up her pendent, turning it this way and that.

    “You’re not a mute, are you?” he drawled absently.

    Crap, now she _had_ to speak. Reluctantly Jade forced her mouth open, then managed a barely audible, “No-no ssssir-sir.”

    In a heartbeat she caught the whiff of a spike in anger scent. “Don’t stutter,” he snapped sharply. “It’s pathetic. You’re going to have to talk _sometime_ and I’d rather not be embarrassed every time you do.”

    Jade clamped her mouth shut, biting her lip. She wanted to say “sorry”, or something similar, but that seemed too risky now. Instead she stiffened a little more as the hand on her waist began to slide lower, towards her hip.

    “It’s a good thing you’re pretty. I was worried you’d still be flat. You’ll be a sweet addition, I think.”

    Her face was going hot again. Was this appropriate? Why had he sent her parents away? Not that she wanted them to witness this, of course. Her chest size had been more a point of pain than not. She was hardly well endowed, not enough to cause backpain, but she was still a B, sometimes a C, which was still larger than Mindy’s own A-cup. Her sister had given her no end of grief for it.

    “Don’t feel too bad, I still need an official mate. I haven’t knocked any of the others up yet and you can only be an eligible bachelor for so long. It’s time I started a family.”

    Others? Yes, alright, depending on where you were in the world it wasn’t uncommon for an Alpha to have several Omegas, be they concubines or mistresses or polygamous mates. But she’d been under the impression such things were frowned upon in America. It was barely passible in Shifter society as it was, and only if everyone involved was aware of the situation and partaking of their own volition. While this did pose the unforeseen perk of not having to suffer all of his attention, Jade still felt a stab of pain at the knowledge. Even when he took a mate, even when he would be putting up the front of a nice, normal nuclear family, she would still simply be among the ranks of others. So had he really afforded her family all that payment simply so he could better his chances of having a pup? A duty she looked forward to even less than having to share this man’s bed?

    Was she green? She felt green. Oh gods she couldn’t get sick now. He was already angry about her stammer.

    Jade started as the roaming hand slid around sideways, cupping one buttock and giving it a sharp squeeze.

    “Slender and firm, I like it,” Morningstar chuckled. “You’re still a virgin, right?”

    Yep, she was definitely green. And in no shape to be talking. She nodded stiffly instead, wishing dearly she could listen to her wolf and get as far away from him as possible.

    “Good. Virgins are always fun. In fact they’re my favorite,” Morningstar chuckled, sniffing her shoulder. “I really hope you have your heat soon. I have your scent now, and it’s mouthwatering. If you don’t have it by the time you graduate, I’ll just have you sent to my place anyway. I’m done waiting.”

    Did that mean he’d induce? Or that he’d simply start popping her into bed with him before her heat? She wouldn’t turn eighteen until June, and assuming they ran on time she may or may not be of-age by graduation. Technically until an Omega had their heat the age of consent was the same as Betas, a law Alphas also abided by. Here in America, that was eighteen. That would be cutting it close.

    “Let’s try this again. You’re not a mute, so act like it from time to time. Got it?”

    Jade tried. She really did. But when she opened her mouth it still came out as, “Y-yes, sssir- “

    Her attempt was cut short as she was backhanded hard, nearly knocking her from her perch. Morningstar stood, sending her tumbling to the floor, fumbling to keep her skirt pulled down. She’d barely managed to sit upright before he grabbed her hair, hauling her upright but not releasing his hold.

    “It’s going to be a pain in my ass if I have to train you after waiting this long,” he growled in her ear, making her and her wolf both shudder. “Don’t. Fucking. Stutter. I’m paying for your bloodlines, which should come with some class. Only talk when you have to or if I ask you a direct question. It’s sir or Mr. Morningstar to you. Well, you can call me Lucifer in bed. It’s easier to scream. And unless I tell you, those pretty eyes had better stay down. Understood?”

    One hand clinging to the wrist holding her hair, Jade nodded as much as she was able.

    Morningstar grunted, thrusting her away, Jade almost falling to the floor a second time. “Good. I’m hungry, and your folks promised me a meal.”

    They’d been listening, they had to be considering how fast her mother appeared. As if she needed more shame right now. Wang Li bowed again, head down, saying, “It’s ready, Mr. Morningstar. Please, this way.”

    Jade hung back, peeking up in time to see her mother’s disapproving look before she hurried to the dining room. Swallowing thickly, Jade reluctantly followed. Her stomach was in too many knots for her to be hungry, but she’d have to.

    Mindy was setting the table, putting out both chopsticks and western utensils, pausing to give Jade a scathing look of her own. Whether it was because she’d had to cook or just on principle Jade wasn’t sure, and she wasn’t about to ask. Her brothers certainly hadn’t had to cook, but as Morningstar sat at the table’s head they were bringing in dishes from the kitchen. Li Jung sat directly across from him, at the table’s other end, Jade hesitating before her mother motioned for her to sit at Morningstar’s right. _Nai-Nai_ , bringing in a jar of soy sauce, was the last to join them. She sat across from Jade, giving her a reassuring smile as Li Jun introduced the rest of their family.

    Morningstar barely waited to hear them before digging in, which wasn’t the first rude offense on his part, not that he was called out on it. Considering he was buying their daughter, which they deemed a truly admirable thing, he could do no wrong. Lee and Sherman seemed particularly fascinated, so did Mindy, all three openly staring. Jade wasn’t even entirely sure what his face looked like, though by this point she’d decided she didn’t care. He could be a modern-day Adonis and she wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t change the fact her worst fears had been confirmed. Her parents had sold her to someone who was no better than they were.

    Halfway through the meal, which Jade barely managed to eat any of, it hit her like a wrecking ball. Morningstar wasn’t just like her parents, he would be worse. Here she had some degree of freedom, she had her friends, she had an escape. When she moved in with him, all that would be gone. She’d seen pictures of his estate, it had a fence and guards and a security system. No way she was getting out of that without permission, which she had a sinking feeling Morningstar didn’t give easily. From what she’d seen so far he wouldn’t allow her to contact what few friends she had, even if they were Betas or other Omegas.

    What’s more…at least her family hadn’t raped her. There was no doubt in her mind that was exactly what would happen the first day she set foot on Morningstar’s property. She wouldn’t willingly give herself to this Alpha, frankly Jade couldn’t see it as physically possible. But he had every intention of sleeping with her, and her opinion obviously didn’t matter.

    It felt like an age before Morningstar finally left. He did seem to like the food, at least, though he never touched his chopsticks. It meant she wouldn’t have to completely overhaul her recipe knowledge to accommodate his palate later. But once they were among her family he completely ignored her, which she took as a blessing. When he did speak it was to her father, a few times to her siblings. Never to her, her mother, or _Nai-Nai_. Weren’t elders meant to be respected? Even in China they’d done that much, so why were things so different here? She knew Li Jun had only brought his mother with them out of obligation, and because it was beneficial to them in the long run. Her money helped, and once here she’d been handy in cooking and minding the pups. She wasn’t ignored as much as Jade, but it was little better. Particularly with Morningstar.

    Jade was delicately eating rice one grain at a time so as to mask just how little she was consuming when, unbidden, a memory from the day before flashed in her mind’s eye. Dean smiling ruefully, ducking his head as his mother scolded him for his undignified behavior. Then he’d turned around and kissed her cheek with a big grin and a “thanks, Mom” when she’d handed him the packet of licorice he apparently hadn’t known about. It was a far cry from how she’d seen anyone act around _Nai-Nai_ , or her own mother for that matter. Wang Li did command respect, but only at her mate’s discretion. _Nai-Nai_ hadn’t been able to drive in four years, and while they’d only allowed her a learner’s permit Jade was the one who often took her places, be it to doctor’s appointments scheduled around her school schedule or to a farmer’s market so she could select fresh ingredients for cooking. Jade was just grateful she’d never been pulled over, she always felt uneasy behind the wheel, overcautious and clumsy, but at least she hadn’t been in a wreck yet.

    When she was sure no one was looking, Jade risked a brief glance up. The moment she had a good look at Morningstar’s face she dropped her gaze again, relieved that no one seemed to notice. He wasn’t bad looking, particularly since he was smirking at something her father had said. Fair skinned with blond hair and blue eyes, older but not ancient. Hadn’t they said he was nearing forty? That looked about right, for all Shifters aged far better than humans. Not at it mattered. She’d just wanted to see the face of the man who’d be keeper of her pending, personal hell.

    The moment Morningstar was gone, Wang Li turned on Jade and demanded, _“What did you do? Why did he hit you? Didn’t we train you better?”_

    _“It’s going to happen occasionally,”_ Li Jun argued, resting a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “ _Let it go. Each Alpha has to train their mate to their own ways. There’s going to be some trouble in the beginning regardless. The point is that he liked her, he’s willing to wait until she graduates if her heat doesn’t start by then.”_ Lowering his voice, but not so much Jade couldn’t hear, he added, _“If it comes to that, I will acquire the medication. We can dose her after she walks.”_

    Jade turned and fled, hurrying down to her room and shutting the door for the second time that day. They’d removed the locks ages ago, but it was all the safety she had in this house. She clamped both hands over her mouth, dropping onto her bed and curling up into a tight ball, fighting back tears. They would do her no good, and if they noticed she’d just be punished again. That was it, then. They’d confirmed every single one of her worst fears. Before a year was out, before she was eighteen, one way or another she’d be handed off to Morningstar. And there was nothing she could do about it.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

    Mother Nature had apparently decided it would be hilarious to add insult to injury. Jade was dragging herself from the floor as Sherman left her room to find her underwear stained with blood and her lower abdomen aching with cramps. She’d guessed, the timing was right, but apparently she hadn’t anticipated the flow properly.

    When she crawled into Kevin’s car some time later she slumped in the passenger seat, mumbling, “Got anything for pain?”

    His mouth twisted in a sympathetic grimace, and he pointed to the glove compartment. While her mother and sister kept things like Tylenol and Midol on hand for their own cycles, but she wasn’t allowed to touch them no matter how bad things got. They seemed to think she should be grateful they supplied her with pads and didn’t beat her if she leaked. Yet another double standard, as she knew for a fact Mindy had lost far more underwear to this mess than she had.

    Jade tried not to be too bitter towards Kevin as she popped half the bottle, gulping from a water bottle kept in the backseat. Male Omegas had heats, as female Omegas did, but they didn’t suffer periods as they did. On the other hand the chances of them getting pregnant outside of a heat were much slimmer, which was either fair compensation or a loss depending on who you asked. Jade was firmly in the former category, especially on days like this.

    “Did they suspect anything?” Kevin asked once she had a proper number of pills in her system.

    “No,” Jade grumbled, shifting sideways in her seat in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.

    “So was yesterday not too bad?”

    She barked a bitter laugh at that. “Not exactly.”

    “You started early.”

    “I wish.” She closed her eyes, then mumbled, “I met him.”

    “Who?”

    “Him. He was passing through Lawrence yesterday, decided to drop by and see the merchandise.”

    “Oh.” It was another minute before he asked, “So, uh, how was he?”

    “Don’t ask.”

    Kevin kept his mouth shut after that. Jade had successfully managed not to think about it too hard, which made it easier not to weep over her situation, literally or figuratively. Had this been why she was feeling things so strongly yesterday? It certainly might explain why Morningstar had liked her scent so much. She distinctly remembered it being mentioned in biology last year, how even human males could tell when a female was ovulating, even if it wasn’t conscious. Despite loud objections to this, mostly by the male half of the class, the teacher had insisted it would make them more attractive. Sure sign of fertility and all that.

    _Damn fertility is the whole reason I’m in this mess,_ Jade thought bitterly _. If I was barren or something they’d kick me out. I’d be on the streets, but it’d be better than this. Better than what I have to look forward to._

    Her eyes stayed closed until she felt the car lurch into park. Only then did she slide them open and reluctantly heave her door out, lurching upright onto worn asphalt and slinging her backpack over one shoulder. She kept her head down as she trudged towards the school, giving clusters of people as wide a birth as possible.

    Besides jostling her in the hallway, and only being knocked into the lockers once, she was able to make it to homeroom without incident. She sank slowly into her seat, hunching over her desk. It would probably be next period before the Midol kicked in, if it did at all. Damn Shifter metabolism. It already cost her body heat, then this on top of it.

    Jade had found a marginally comfortable position, and was staring dully at her paper, scratching senseless squiggles in the margin, when someone dropped into the seat behind her. She winced, closing her eyes, waiting for the first taunt. She wasn’t sure how much she could handle today.

    Instead, a folded piece of paper slid onto her desk a minute later. Heart lifting, she unfolded it and read over the now familiar, neat hand. Her lips quivered, and she quickly smothered the tightness in her eyes. How pathetic was she, to go all misty eyed the moment an Alpha was nice to her?

    _‘Saturday was fun. Think you can get away to do it again sometime soon?’_

_‘I don’t know. Can everyone really afford to take a whole day to watch movies that often?’_

_‘No. It wouldn’t be as many people this time.’_

_‘If I do it too often they might catch on.’_

_‘Damn shame. Did you see if they posted the results for tryouts yet?’_

    Jade frowned at that. Had he tried out for something? _‘They’re usually posted outside the gym a few days after. What did you try out for?’_ It was too late for it to be football, not that the coach would turn down the chance to get a few extra Shifters on the team.

_‘Boxing team. Kinda surprised you guys had one.’_

_‘There’s enough Shifters around to sustain one. Why are you worried?’_

_‘Nothing’s a guarantee.’_

    Jade almost snorted at that. Instead she just wrote, _‘I wouldn’t worry.’_ Though she did appreciate the humility in the statement.

_‘Thanks. Do you play anything?’_

_‘Sports and I don’t mix well.’_ She’d wanted to try things, over the years. But constant injuries at random, having her own teammates turn on her, and being more clumsy than Shifters tended to be hadn’t lent itself to that. Mindy had played soccer, for all she hadn’t been much a team player, her brothers playing baseball over the years with similar difficulties. Mathletes was the closest she’d come, though members of physical sports often discounted it.

_‘If I make the team, you wanna come to a match?’_

    She stared at that for a solid minute, half listening to the announcements. She went to Kevin’s debate meets, sure, and her own meets, but that was it. She’d never been to a football game, or any other sort of game. When her siblings had had games her parents had always dumped her with _Nai-Nai_. The Omega was curious, but…boxing was rather violent, wasn’t it? She wasn’t too sure she’d enjoy it. She started to write a polite denial, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Had it been anyone else and she could have, but…it was Dean.

_‘Maybe.’_

_‘Please?’_

_‘I can’t promise anything.’_

    She fled at the bell before he could push her farther. Thankfully he didn’t pester her for a solid yes, for which she was grateful. She was also grateful for what him and his pack had done for her.

    Omega did not mean stupid. Jade had noticed people had been leaving her alone since his packmates had been hanging around her, even if it was just Meg at the time. From what she knew of the other Omega, Jade honestly wasn’t sure if it was because of Meg herself or the fact she had Cas at her back. He was a little odd, sometimes a bit dorky, but he was sweet and had always been unfailingly polite to her. What’s more, she’d seen a male Beta grab Meg’s ass once on a dare. Cas hadn’t batted an eye, hadn’t broken stride as he’d walked passed, but he had broken the unfortunate Beta’s hand. He was human, so it would be a while before he could use it again.

    The cramps did ease eventually, not completely but enough they were easier to bear. A minor blessing. Jade trudged from one class to another, the only two bright points of her morning the notes Dean still passed with her and learning Ms. Tran had packed shrimp gumbo. Lots of gumbo with extra spice.

    Jade was trying to focus on the former as she changed out for gym, shuffling out of the stall only to get smacked over the head with a full gym bag. Her head wacked against the stall devisor, and she sucked in a sharp breath as her body followed suit. She clamped a hand to her throbbing skull, which had already begun to hurt anyway, her lack of balance bringing her to her knees.

    “Its been a while since we’ve gotten to play with you,” Bela mused, giving her leg a rough nudge with the toe of one shoe.

    “Lucky for us your bitch body guard got a call from the front office. We can finally have some fun.”

    “And I’m very overdue for fun.”

    Jade had barely raised her head before that bulging gym bag came down over her skull again, driving her to the damp tile. She gritted her teeth, fighting to bring herself upright. She managed to sway out of another blow, but Ruby was more direct. She just grabbed her by the shirt and punched her.

    “You think you’re so special? They’re only hanging out with you because of Kevin. If the little freak didn’t have an in, your ass would be out in the cold and you know it.”

    That wasn’t right. Many of their taunts weren’t, and for all they always hurt Jade had developed a skin thick enough she didn’t often show it. Even so, her eyes and nose were starting to burn.

    Meanwhile, Bela was snickering. “Yeah, right. Once he figures out you’re a prude Dean will find someone more fun to play with. There are such good options right under his nose. Not sure why you’re even allowed to sit with them anyway. Unless Kevin’s putting out.”

    If she wasn’t fighting tears that might have made her laugh. She’d believed Kevin when he’d insisted Dean was more of a brother than anything else. Since then she’d gotten to see it. Dean cared about people, even if they weren’t official pack members, but that love seemed to be strictly platonic. He’d no more be intimate with Kevin than he would Benny or Cas. Besides, Jade happened to know that Kevin was partial to the female Alphas.

    “Yeah, that has to be it. No way some scrawny Omegas would hold their attention otherwise.”

    Anger started to spark in Jade’s chest, for all it was quickly overwhelmed as Ruby slapped her, hard. People could do whatever they wanted to her, and they often did, but at this point all she and her wolf seemed capable of was fear. That only changed if their ire turned on her few friends. It wasn’t much, and she was still unable to do anything, but it was the only time taunts and torment ever provoked that response.

    “Oh look at her,” Bela said in a false sounding baby voice. “I think she’s going to cry.”

    Her vision was starting to go blurry. She had to get out of here. _Now._

    Abruptly Jade yanked away, then turned on her heel and sprinted out of the changing room. Class was about to start, so there weren’t many people to get in her way as she dashed down the hall. She grabbed the first door she came to, throwing it open and yanking it shut. Jade had a vague notion she was in a supply closet, small and dark, but all she cared about was the fact it was enclosed and away from them. Anyone. Everyone.

    It was too much. First yesterday, now this. Rationally she knew hormones had likely played a part in this too, but it didn’t matter. All she knew was that she couldn’t hold in anymore tears. If they didn’t come out now they’d explode at an even worse time.

    So Jade wedged her back against a wall, clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds, and cried. Immediately tears began dripping down her cheeks, hot lines streaking down her face. She’d have to go by a bathroom on her way back to gym, cold water was best at hiding traces of a good cry. Sadly this knowledge had come in handy very often over the years.

    Jade wasn’t sure how long she’d been at it when someone knocked on the door. She froze, breath hitching, eyes flying wide for all there wasn’t much to see. Her only light was via a thin line under the door.

    “Jade? You okay?”

    Fresh tears brimmed over, and she barely managed to muffle a sob. Just her luck. Out of all the people in the world she didn’t want to find her, didn’t want to see her like this, Dean had to be at the top of that list. Not because he’d make it worse, but because she didn’t want him to realize just how pathetic she was. What kind of a person cried their eyes out in a supply closet in the middle of the school? How’d he even find her anyway?

    “I know you’re in there. Your scent’s pretty obvious. Are you alright?”

    She carefully pulled her hands away from her face, breath hitching and ragged, rubbing away snot and tears. “’M fine. Go-go away.”

    “You don’t sound fine,” Dean protested, opening the door.

    “Don’t!” She threw her hands over her face, cringing away from the light. Not only did it make her head throb, it would show him what had become of her.

    To her surprise a muttered oath reached her ears, the door shutting sharply, a chair scraping as it was jammed under the handle. She’d barely registered this before she found herself lifted from her seat on the floor, yelping a startled protest, only to go very still as he took her previous seat, pulling her into his lap. Arms, strong and warm and oddly gentle, wrapped around her, holding her close as he braced his back against one side of the corner, one hand cupping her skull and tucking her against his chest.

    Jade’s first instinct was to panic, to get away. She thrashed and struggled, shoving against the Alpha, beating uselessly against him. Dean didn’t utter a word, didn’t punish her for it, just caught her flailing wrists and held them in a firm, gentle grip. It didn’t take long for the panic-driven fight to drain out of her, and she slumped in his hold, tears spilling over anew.

    “Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay, you’re safe, no one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe, Jade.”

    Safe. Interesting choice of words, though she didn’t notice it until she’d already started blubbering into his chest. Dean smelled safe, even now. He wasn’t dressed as nice as Morningstar had been, worn boots and ratty jeans and an old t-shirt under an open red shirt, but the fabric was soft and comforting as she clung to it. His scent seeped through it and into her nose, and her frazzled wolf finally began to settle. Safe. This Alpha smelled safe. He was safe. He wouldn’t hurt them. He was trying to comfort them.

    Once Jade had been reduced to a sobbing mess, one arm released her to fumble around. Boxes shifted, something ripped, then a moment later a tissue brushed her fingers, and she grabbed it gratefully. She went through five of them before she could breathe through her nose again, plucking them from the box Dean was holding. Eventually the stream of tears did slow, and while she now had hiccups her breathing did gradually stop hitching at every inhale. After he’d set the tissue box by his side, still within her reach, one hand had begun rubbing her back while the other stroked her hair. He didn’t say anything, just patiently waited for her to finish.

    By then Jade was slumped against his chest, dripping nose buried in his scent. She’d tried not to think about it before, but now she couldn’t not. Just how different Dean was from Morningstar. The comparison was like night and day. Morningstar had hit her within five minutes of meeting her, had gotten angry at her stammer, had seemed pleased she was so quiet and meek. The man was as old as her father, but he’d groped her and made it clear he wouldn’t be waiting any longer than he needed to before he used her, social norms be damned.

    Dean had never raised a hand to her, hadn’t so much as handled her roughly. Even when she’d been fighting him and given him every reason to. He’d asked her to talk, encouraged it, coaxing and working with her until she could speak to him without a stammer which he didn’t seem to mind in the first place. From day one, even before he’d known her name, he’d helped her, protected her. He was gentle and kind and compassionate and selfless, a good brother, a good friend, a good leader. She’d come to realize that over this last week, bit by bit as she watched him, passed notes with him. Even if he wasn’t…on an instinctual level her wolf trusted him. He was safe. He didn’t put her on edge, not anymore.

    “Better?” he asked softly, still petting her hair.

    “Not really,” she mumbled, blowing her nose again and trying to wipe away traces of tears as best she could. Not only was her plight unchanged, but now she had a throbbing headache. On top of that she was sitting in Dean Winchester’s lap and likely looked exactly like she’d cried her eyes out. At least his lap was comfortable, yet another difference between him and Morningstar.

    “Talk to me. I don’t care how hopeless you think shit is, there’s always a way out. But I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”

    Jade wheezed a bitter laugh.

    “I’m serious. What’s wrong? You’re too reasonable to do this just because you stubbed your toe.”

    “Thanks,” she muttered. Her eyes slid closed as she rested her forehead against his chest. It was a very nice chest, warm and oddly comfortable. “Just ask Kevin.”

    Dean groaned, head thumping back against the wall. “I’ve tried. Little bitch won’t tell me anything. Says it ain’t his place. You ain’t leaving here until I know what’s going on.”

    “What good will it do?”

    “You’re not alone, there’s no reason to act like it. You have people who care about you, people that can help. But I can’t do that if I don’t know the situation.”

    Jade had only told Kevin, Anna, Tessa, and Samandriel. Even then it had only been because she’d had a panic attack when it had first sunk in what her parents had done. The rest they’d picked up on over the years, or been told because she couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

    “I…I told you they wanted an Alpha, right?” she asked at last.

    “Yeah.”

    “They came here for a change, to make something of themselves. An Alpha child would help them climb higher faster. So they kept having kids until they couldn’t anymore. I was the last one. _Nai-Nai_ says they almost got rid of me. Not sure if that meant abandon me or just kill me.”

    Dean’s arms tightened around her. “Who’s _Nai-Nai?”_

    “My grandmother. I wished she’d let them.”

    That time she got a firm squeeze, one that held. “Don’t you say that, understand?” He sounded angry. “Don’t say shit like that.”

    “Why not? The only reason they kept me was because I’d be useful. Ever since then it’s been about how to make me the most appealing to an Alpha, someone higher up the social ladder to mate me off to.”

    “You’re joking, right?”

    “I wish,” she whispered. “The documents were signed a week before I turned sixteen. It’s already done.”

    “Wait, they mated you off at sixteen?”

    “To be given to him after I…after I have my first heat.”

    She started when a growl rumbled in his chest, but he hugged her tighter. “Sorry. Not pissed at you. What kind of mook does something like that?”

    “There seemed to be plenty,” she mumbled. “Finally met him yesterday. I knew…I knew it would be bad, but I didn’t think it would be worse. At least now they don’t do anything permanent because they’re afraid to damage me. Once I go with him….”

    “Who?” She could see red starting to spark in the shadows, Dean’s voice a pure growl as his hands tightened on her arms. “Give me a name.”

    Jade stared up into his face dully, what little she could see anyway. It surprised her to realize she wasn’t afraid. Dean was pissed and she was in his lap, but she didn’t feel as though she was in danger. Even her wolf was at ease, actually wanting to huddle closer.

    “What will you do with it?” she asked softly. “What does it matter? It’s done. Whether I like it or not that’s my fate.”

    “I wanna know what kind of a douchebag they sold you to. And don’t give me any of that fate shit, you hear me? Nothing’s set in stone.”

    “Not all of us have that luxury.”

    “Damn it, Jade.”

    “I’m serious.”

    “So am I.”

    “They’re my parents. It might not happen often but technically it’s not illegal here. If you want to help me then…then I want to spend what time I have left with someone of my choosing. Not anyone else’s, mine.”

    After a beat of silence Dean asked, “You’re choosing me?”

    “Only if you choose me back,” she said hurridly, backtracking. “If you don’t that’s- “

    A hand fell over her mouth, silencing her. It wasn’t a hard grip as it’d always been when others had done this, though. It rested there, urging but not forcing.

    Leaning down so close Jade could feel his lips against her ear, he murmured, “That ain’t the issue. I’ll be whatever you need, but only if you give me that name. Sound fair?”

    Jade wavered, then slumped in his hold. When his hand lifted she whispered, “Lucifer Morningstar.”

    The Alpha surrounding her went ridged. “Pull the other one, it’s loaded.”

    “I’m serious.”

    “That guy is the king of smug douchebags. And he’s old enough to be your fucking father.”

    “He’s two years younger, actually.”

    “Not the point,” Dean growled. “Only reason he’s running a pack is because he inherited it. They’re either freakishly devout or hate him as much as I do.”

    “We had a deal,” she reminded him softly. She wasn’t used to people keeping their word, outside her close circle of friends, but for him she held out hope.

    Dean gave a weary sigh, the tension gradually leaving him as he began stroking her hair again. “I know, I know. I just…you met the guy, you seriously wanna go through with this?”

    “It’s not about what I want, it never has been and it never will be. We’re not all lucky. I’m…I’m tired. If I’m doomed anyway I’d like to at least enjoy what little time I’ve got left.”

    “I thought you said you had until your heat.”

    “He’s taking me after graduation regardless. If it takes that long my own parents plan to induce me.”

    Again every inch of Dean went ridged. “What?” That lone word was barely discernable under the growl rattling in his chest.

    Jade winced, then hurridly grabbed his shoulders as Dean started to stand. “No, no, no, no, where are you going? Don’t!”

    Dean managed to get fully upright, Jade’s feet dangling in the air as she still clung to him. “I’m gonna rip their fucking lungs out,” he snarled, reaching for the door.

    “Please, you can’t. It won’t do any good,” she pleaded.

    “Can’t hurt to try.”

    She heard him tossing the barricading chair aside. In a desperate last-ditch attempt, Jade grabbed his head with one hand and jammed his face into her neck. It wasn’t until after he’d stilled that she remembered why this had occurred to her, even on a subconscious level. Something Kevin had mentioned once, how an Omega could calm down a raging Alpha. It helped if they were close, mates were best, but it was doable. Young children, especially Shifter children, drew comfort from scenting their parents. Not that she would know. She was a friend, if that, but she was still an Omega.

    Jade wasn’t sure what surprised her more. That she did something so bold, or that it actually worked. Dean had gone still, and just when Jade was starting to wonder if she was about to bear the brunt of his infamous temper, he began to wrap his arms around her in a snug embrace. In gradual movements he shuffled back towards their corner, sinking back down to the floor, nose still buried in her scent glands.

    “Are you okay?” she asked carefully.

    The Alpha grunted, heaving a sigh. “Gimme a minute,” he grumbled.

    Jade waited, trying to hold very still. This close she was getting a nose-full of her own, which was remarkably calming. After a few minutes of this she hesitantly reached up, timidly petting his hair. It was softer than she thought it’d be, and a different sort of sound started to thrum in Dean’s throat. Had he been a feline Shifter Jade would have thought it was a purr, but she stopped all the same.

    Seconds after she did, one arm released her and reached back, catching her wrist and bringing it back to his head. Torn between surprise and amusement, Jade resumed stroking his hair, which he seemed to enjoy. On a whim she began to hum, which seemed to relax him even more. She hesitated, wet her lips, and began to sing. Nothing special, just an old lullaby _Nai-Nai_ had sung to her in her old dialect, but she’d always been fond of it.

    Dean didn’t just stay relaxed, he started to rock in place, clinging to her. Jade waited until she’d sung the last verse to ask carefully, “Are you calm, now?”

    “That was you on the roof the other day,” Dean mumbled into her neck.

    Jade blushed. “You, um, heard me?”

    “You kidding me? Your voice is…wow.” He finally lifted his head, nose brushing her jaw. “You’ve got no idea how special you are, do you?”

    “Not in a good way, no.” She hesitated, then said carefully, “Thank you. For…being here.”

    “Someone should be. Glad it was me.” Callused fingers gently tucked her hair behind one ear, lingering over her skin. “You’re plenty special, let me show you and I’ll prove it.”

    Jade almost refused. Almost. But isn’t this what she wanted? To spend what little time she had left with people she chose to spend it with? Eventually she gave a small nod, whispering, “Okay.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80 and HenriaSownbinder!

    Dean took her to the nurse’s office instead of back to gym, which was nearly over anyway. The nurse gave her a note after a bit of sweet talking from Dean, and Jade popped into a restroom before going back to cleanup. She splashed cold water on her face, wetting a paper towel and pressing it to the skin around her eyes.

    If anyone notice anything off they didn’t say as much, which was a relief. In addition to an excuse, the nurse had kindly offered her a large bottle of pain killers. They kicked in just in time for them to get their quizzes back in calculus. Jade was pleased with the results. She was overdue for some good news.

    Her soothed mood remained as they moved on to lunch, sitting next to Kevin and gladly accepting the container of still warm gumbo and rice. She’d even packed mugs of green tea and red bean buns. Delicious.

    Jade was happily spooning gumbo into her mouth when Dean dropped into a seat next to Benny, looking grim. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but the other Alpha was the first to ask, “What’s eating you?”

    “Any idea where Cas went? I need to talk to him.”

    Meg passed by him, absently smacking his head with her latest magazine before sinking into the seat on Jade’s side of the table. “Look somewhere else. He’s busy.”

    “Where’d he go?”

    “Mary called us. Claire has a fever. He’s taking her to the doctor. Made me stay here.”

    Dean’s eyes narrowed at the word ‘fever’, not being whacked like an ill-behaved mutt. “She okay?”

    “Dunno. She threw up her breakfast, so we’ll see,” Meg said grimly. She worried her lip as she eyed her phone screen. “In the waiting room now,” she muttered, setting it face up on the table. “He thinks it’s one of those 24-hour viruses, but he wants to be sure. He’d better be right.”

    “Was she fine last night?”

    “Yeah. We had to go before she woke up, though.” Meg’s brow was furrowed as she stabbed at her food. “Why the hell are your parents making him come here?” she snapped abruptly. “At least one of us would be there with her more.”

    “Either way you’d still be here,” Dean pointed out, tone gentle. “She’ll be fine. He’s probably right, anyway. He usually is about this crap.”

    “This is what we get for taking her to the playground,” Meg grumbled. “Would you believe she was licking the fucking water fountain?”

    Dean coughed on his soda, lips turned up in a wry smile. After he’d cleared his throat all he had to say was, “She sounds like her old man.”

    That earned him a sharp kick under the table. He stopped helping after that. Instead he turned his attention to Kevin, eyeing his red bean buns. When he tried to sneak one, he got his hand smacked away for his trouble, the Omega barely looking up from his food.

    “You’re good at math, right?”

    “Why?”

    Rather than answer, Dean passed a sheet of paper over the table. Jade caught a glimpse of it, eyebrows shooting up. It was their calculus quiz, but unlike hers it was covered in red, and she was very sure the number circled at the top was somewhere in the thirties.

    Kevin was glancing it over, looking genuinely impressed. “I thought you were taking this class back in Sioux Falls.”

    “I was,” Dean grumbled around a bite of sandwich. “It wasn’t much different. Look, man, I’m getting desperate here. Can you- “

    “Can’t.” Kevin handed back the red-dipped quiz. “There’s a debate meet coming up, and I’ve got SAT’s next weekend.”

    The Alpha groaned. “Do you know anyone who can? Do they have tutors somewhere around here?”

    “No one that wouldn’t all be booked. I’ll ask around.”

    Jade watched this exchange from beneath her lashes. Honestly she’d half expected Kevin to offer her up. She’d been the one to help Tessa through Trig last year, and she’d been helping Kevin prepare for the math sections of the SAT’s for all she’d never taken it herself. There had never been any reason to let her, considering they were barely going to let her walk for her diploma as it was.

    But he didn’t. After a moment Jade found herself getting a little irritated with this, then irritated at herself for being irritated. What was wrong with her? The last thing she needed right now was to add on another reason for her family to be angry at her. They’d made it explicitly clear she was supposed to keep the pack as a whole at arm’s length. Then again…it would be the perfect excuse to spend time with Dean. No one would think twice about a mathlete tutoring a future Pack Alpha in calculus, if anything it would be readily accepted. Pack Alphas, current or not, tended to get the best, and she was among the best in this field. For all she hated that it fit neatly into a stereotype, she did enjoy math. Numbers were simple, things were always black and white, very unlike people. Better still, this was something she could pitch to her parents when they found out. And she knew it would be a when, not an if.

    Jade swallowed the last of her bean buns, rotating her drink on the table as she hesitated. She’d found it much easier to talk to Dean one-on-one, but here it might be more difficult. They were surrounded by people.

    “I, um…I could…help you.”

    Dean perked up as Kevin glanced at her, surprised. “Seriously?”

    “You any good at math?” Dean asked, ignoring him.

    “Are you kidding?” Anna demanded incredulously. “She’s captain of the mathletes. Last year they made it to state. It would have been national if she’d been allowed to go.”

    Jade tried not to wince at the reminder. For all it would provide more of that prestige her parents seemed to crave, they’d decided it was too risky to allow her to travel to the state championship. Between that and Alistair’s interference this year, she wasn’t holding out much hope.

    “Awesome. You free after school?”

    She nodded, ducking her head when she saw the broad grin spreading across Dean’s face. It made his eyes cringle up and sparkle in a very heart-softening fashion. Well, the easy part was done, she was committed. Now she just had to figure out what she was going to tell her parents.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    There was no point in broaching the tutoring subject with her parents herself. Things started out bad when she spoke up to them anyway, even if it was something as simple as “we’re out of eggs”. So instead she went over a strategy with Kevin before she went home that day. Jade wasn’t sure whether his being on the debate team helped her or if she’d helped him get good at the debate team. According to Anna, between the two of them they could convince Arabs they needed to stock up on sand.

    Thankfully they hadn’t started asking questions, even though she’d spent over an hour after school sitting with Dean in the library. Her plan had been to figure out the problem areas, which had turned out to be a harder task than she’d anticipated. She’d had to strategize, focusing on what they were going over in class now. They would have to build his foundation after there wasn’t a test looming.

    They still had work to do, but they’d made a good start. Jade intended to work with him a little more this afternoon. Dean was hardly dense, which had pleased her more than she thought it had a right to, in fact once things could be explained in a fashion he found easier to grasp he picked them up quickly. From what Jade could tell it was simply a matter of confusion, getting things straightened out in his head.

    Jade was delighted when Coach Uriel had announced they were allowed to go for another run, but she still jumped when various whoops and humanoid howls echoed through the gym. Most of the culprits were from the Winchester-Campbell pack, but the other Shifters were quick to join in. She found herself holding back a smile, trotting on the heels of the gaggle making a mad dash for the doors. As much as her wolf was eager to get out and stretch her legs, Jade generally tried to avoid getting trampled.

    The moment she was clear, though, she stepped aside and let her wolf take over. Jade slid back as they burst forth, erupting into a mass of fur and tearing off into the woods. They circled away from where the majority of the Shifters were heading, giving them a wide berth. It’d been a whole week, they were itching for a good run.

    It was over a mile before they slowed, taking a moment to roll around in a cluster of daisies before continuing on at a slower pace. She wasn’t sure how far they’d gone before her wolf noticed it. Jade’s attention became more focused when she picked up on the weariness. After a little poking, she was startled to realize they were picking up on an Alpha’s probing. Generally telepathic links were only between packs and family members, but some of the stronger varieties could use the rough equivalent of radar to search for other Shifters. If her experience was anything to go by, Alphas who were at the head of a pack/pride/flock or near to it were prime candidates. If she’d felt it, they’d already found her. It could be Dean…or it could be someone else. Someone less safe. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d picked on her during a run, part of her motivation for separating herself from the others.

    They turned on a dime, doubling back before making a sharp right. There was a large oak near a dry ravine, one with a semi-hollowed base. After making a few sharp turns Jade scrambled into it, pressing their back to the inner hollow and throwing up as many barriers as she could. It might be too late, but she’d learned the hard way she wasn’t going to outrun anyone.

    Jade wasn’t sure how long they huddled there, holding their breath, when a shadow fell over the ground. A moment later she heard the flap of large wings, and their eyes widened as a massive eagle alighted atop a stump just within sight range of their hiding place. Jade had never seen an avian Shifter in person before. She’d been under the impression golden eagles were large anyway, but Shifters were always a bit bigger than their purely animal counterparts. Add to that their being an Alpha, as crimson eyes indicated…they _were_ huge. Jade was amazed the rotten stump wasn’t crumbling under their weight. Had she been human she would have honestly been concerned she’d be carried off. At a guess they were five feet from beak to tail, their wingspan easily ten feet, their feathers bronze-dusted black, going white around their feet.

    Glimmering red raptor eyes fell on her within seconds. Jade cringed into the tree when a very sharp looking beak opened to sound a piercing shriek. Who was this? What did they want?

    As abruptly as the Alpha had come they took off again, flying over the tree. Jade sniffed carefully, trying to catch the eastward wind helpfully blowing traces of their scent her way. Both of them stiffened when she was able to place it, nearly startling her back to her human form, which rarely happened.

    Cas? Sure that would explain why she hadn’t been able to place his beast side, but eagle? Weren’t the avian Shifters a traditional lot? She was certainly sure they tended to be picky about who they mated, simply because they were still such a minority. On a more important note, why was he looking for her?

    Jade was still trying to make sense of this when her ears pricked, picking up the rapid tattoo of heavy paws. They slowed as they got nearer, circling around her tree, a nose snuffling loudly. They weren’t probing, which was odd considering they’d apparently gone to some trouble to track her down.

    Somehow she wasn’t overly surprised when a familiar, massive golden brown wolf came around to the hollow’s hole, nose first. Unfortunately her wolf wasn’t so keen, only seeing an oversized Alpha invading their space and reacting accordingly. Before Jade could protest their jaws were snapping dangerously close to Dean’s nose, sending the Alpha scrambling backwards.

    _Why did you do that?_ Jade shrieked in dismay. _He_ liked _us! That’s almost worse than snapping at pack. I thought you liked him._

    Her wolf huffed in her direction, irritated. It had been self-defense, and the only reason she’d done it was because he _wasn’t_ pack. They were cornered in here. As soon as there was space they were making a run for it.

    Dean had backed up almost to the stump, over twenty feet away, ruby eyes intent on their hiding place. Once he was a respectful distance away, he dropped his head down to his front paws, rear pointed skyward, bushy tail waving. Jade gaped at him, even her wolf staring at him in shock. This was an _Alpha,_ a powerful Alpha, one who was supposed to become Pack Alpha of one of the strongest forces in North America, possibly the world. They didn’t take a stance that was so…undignified. Puppy-like, in fact.

    It intrigued her wolf enough for her to slowly move towards the hollow’s rim, timidly poking her twitching nose out. She wasn’t getting any sort of anger scent off of Dean, nor did he seem irritated in any way. According to all her senses he was as he seemed, intent and not at all aggressive. It was enough to gradually coax them out, for all they were on high alert. No one else seemed to be around, which was odd. She’d been under the impression they’d run together last time, after scoping out the territory.

    Dean’s wolf retained his playful position until Jade minced closer, one paw at a time. When she was clear of the hollow he tossed his head, yipping as he straightened and bounded in a tight circle, tail waving. They froze at that, standing stock still. She’d never seen this behavior before. Well, she had in dogs, pets of the town’s human population. She was sure it was playful, her wolf’s instincts agreed, but they were both weary, standing stock still and fighting the urge to retreat again. From the time they were old enough to properly shift and run her family had always used it as a chance to torment. She’d been ten when her siblings had hunted her for the first time. Over the years it had evolved into a pack-wide event.

    The Alpha was facing her again, head tilting, a questioning whine in his throat. Jade didn’t move, legs quivering for all there was still no visible threat. She was out in the open, she felt exposed, and who knew who was downwind of her. Her wolf recognized this unusual behavior, but it was more confusing than anything else, the only reason they weren’t bolting for cover.

    Jade was still trying to fight back anxiety that hadn’t gone away since the appearance of an Alpha, wondering if it had become some sort of Pavlovian response, when Dean suddenly flopped onto his back. Her wolf’s eyes went wide, even their quivering going still as she stared at the tank of a wolf. Muscle still rippled under fur, but it happened as the Alpha before her pawed at the air, rolling around a bit on his back, tongue lolling out of the side of his muzzle, big red eyes watching her intently.

    They wavered, one paw lifting in a tiny, hesitant forward step, when leaves and underbrush crunched at someone’s arrival. In a heartbeat they weren’t just back in the hollow, her wolf had somehow managed to clamber up a bit into the rotted trunk. Worn wood creaked at her weight, but it held, keeping her nearly ten feet off the ground and out of easy reach of predators.

    An annoyed growl was echoing from outside the tree as they held their position, limbs shaking, tail flat to their belly, ears pricked, nose twitching uneasily. Jade had a hard time putting two thoughts together, overwhelmed by the wordless swirl of fears. _They were coming for her. They’d tracked her down. They’d be angry. They were going to rip her apart and leave her again. The Alpha might help them if he got angry about being found in such an undignified position._ She could hear them pacing, circling her hiding place, dozens of paws on the forest floor, noses snuffling around the tree’s base. Growls, snuffling, grunts, yips.

    A moment later they seemed to retreat, moving away from the dead oak. Jade jerked, almost falling from her perch as a nose poked through the hole. It was too small to be an Alpha, and as the muzzle was followed by a face she found a set of Omega green eyes, identical to her own, peering up at her. Dark brown fur streaked with solid black. Kevin. He yipped up at her, then retreated. Another head came through in his place, also an Omega, but as their scent reached them Jade pinned her as Meg. White splotched over her chest, but the rest of her fur was dark brown and black.

    Meg, who was a little bigger than she was, wiggled into the hollow all the way before craning to peer up at her. She gave a questioning whine, tail swishing hopefully. Jade didn’t budge, still staring at her with wide eyes.

    After a minute of this Meg reluctantly left, then to her wolf’s dismay, Dean’s head came through. They locked eyes, emeralds staring into rubies. Jade felt her body twitch in one big flinch when she felt a gentle tug, someone tapping on the heavy walls she’d thrown up in defense. The Alpha, so big he could barely fit his head and muscled neck through the hole, whined plaintively.

    It was her wolf’s intention to never allow any Alpha through. Something Jade normally agreed with. She was tempted, certainly, but it went too far against the grain to let anyone in. Their defensive instincts were simply too strong to allow it. Even so, her wolf recognized this one. Their head dipped down a little, sniffing, the familiar scent of a rare safe Alpha filling their nose.

    The Alpha’s tongue lapped the air between them, and if Jade didn’t know better she’d say he was trying to reach _her._ But if she was in licking distance she would also be in biting distance. That wasn’t a risk her wolf was prepared to make. Jade hesitated, then wiggled her way back into partial control. Their perch was unsteady as it was, they couldn’t stay here forever. Their head lowered a little, sniffing carefully, and the tell tale _thump-thump-thump_ of a bushy tail against grass began beating a tattoo outside the tree.

    Slowly, gingerly, Jade minced down from her perch. Dean withdrew, but he did get in a solid lick on her cheek before backing up to give her space. Her wolf wasn’t exactly thrilled about this, jerking back from the half playful half intent gesture of affection. For her part Jade was as much confused as rattled. She’d known Dean was fond of her, but not _this_ fond. Then again, their animal counterparts didn’t always have the same degree of control their human personas did. It seemed Dean’s was among those who had far less, if his current behavior was anything to go by. Jade had the distinct impression she was dealing with a puppy rather than a fully grown Alpha.

    Dean backed up as she gingerly returned to the ground, tail a blur as it wagged behind him, ruby eyes intent, head still low. While she didn’t leave the hollow, she did have all four paws on the ground again. As the titan, supposedly very intimidating Alpha darted in two quick circles before resuming his playful position, a familiar face peered in at her. Samandriel’s golden furred head came into sight, bobbing intently, tail waving slowly behind him. Beyond him was Kevin, Tessa, and Anna, all with similar posture. She might not have a telepathic link with them, but the body language was easy enough to read. _Come on, it’ll be fun!_

    Meg bumped her shoulder, then bounded towards the ravine. Slowly, one paw at a time, she began to follow her new friend. Her older friends fell in step to either side as Dean trotted ahead. With her circle of protective companions around her, Jade found herself in the center of a gradually growing pack with Dean at their head. Within minutes they were all running as a group, yipping and bumping into each other, the occasional playful snap. It seemed very…natural. At least that was what their instincts were saying. She hardly had any experience to speak from.

    As they ran a shriek made her look up, just in time to see Cas gliding down over their group. Dean made a halfhearted snap as he swooped low, brushing passed his scruff in what could almost be called a friendly exchange. Leader successfully taunted, the winged Alpha fell back to fly a safe distance over his mate as Meg ran near the pack’s center. She couldn’t see Benny or Andrea, but she’d spotted a cheetah running a few paces past Dean’s flank. Likely the unknown feline she’d scented on their first day. Their coat had the traditional spotted pattern, but the yellowed cream undertone had an almost coppery shine to it. A skinny looking gray and brown wolf loped opposite the Beta. She couldn’t name the others, but it was a small comfort to see Charlie and Garth among their number.

    Jade had never run with a pack before. It was short, most of it was them circling back towards the school but…she liked it. By the time the gym was back in sight her wolf had relaxed. They weren’t at ease, but they weren’t walking a thin line between fleeing and lashing out anymore. It was a start. Likely it would take multiple, less eventful runs to get them both to relax.

    She stumbled a little when she dropped back to two feet, glancing around as others did the same. Jade turned in time to see Meg straighten, shaking out her arms and turning her eyes skyward. When the shorter Omega followed her gaze, she saw a familiar avian circling down from an altitude that had kept him out of the trees. An oddly soft smile was on her friend’s face, one she had a feeling didn’t come out in public very often. They weren’t the only ones stopping to stare as the oversized raptor descended to ten feet above the grass, then shifted as he dropped the remaining distance. Cas landed on his feet, rolling his shoulders and turning his attention towards his mate, falling in step next to her as they made their way back.

    Jade kept a respectful distance, or at least she tried to. She started when a hand came down on her shoulder, looking up into worried green eyes. Dean stopped, stopping her with him.

    “Hey, listen, uh…you okay?”

    “Yeah, why?”

    “What kinda crap have they been up to?”

    “Who?”

    “Your pack. I’ve never seen someone act like that before.”

    She could say the same about him, but opted not to. Instead she insisted, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

    “Too late.”

    Even so, he let her go. They filtered back through the gym with the others, changing out and moving on to their next classes. As much of a relief it was to let her wolf out for a romp, Jade had never felt so energized before. She was practically buzzing with it, bounding lightly through the crowded hallways and taking all three flights of stairs two at a time. Once in her desk she could barely sit still, one leg bouncing as she doodled Mandarin characters in the margins of her paper. Brilliance, lead, unmoving, deep, heart, random words that only took one character, not two.

    Jade was putting the finishing touches on ‘bravery’ when something wet and sharp smelling crashed onto her desk. She jerked back in her seat, mouth falling open in dismay as she fumbled to jerk the plastic water bottle upright. This didn’t do her much good, someone had stabbed holes in it, and the clear liquid kept pouring out all over her desk, dripping onto her lap and onto the floor. What felt like the entire classroom erupted in laughter, snickers, and snide comments that only fell silent when she heard boots making their way towards her.

    “Technical difficulties, Ms. Chen?” Billie asked, a frown on her face as she came down the isle, paper towels in hand. The elder Beta stopped two desks away, eyebrows snapping together. “Vodka, Ms. Chen?”

    “It-it’s not-not mine,” Jade protested, staring up at her with wide eyes. There was hardly any way that could be traced, unless whoever had thrown it had gotten vodka on themselves, which she doubted. It was just a mass-produced plastic water bottle you could buy cheap by the pack in any given store, and the alcohol would have washed off any other scent traces.

    Billie handed her the paper towels, and Jade began hurridly trying to soak up the vodka. Once she got the worst of it Billie sent her to the bathroom to try getting it out of her clothes. She was just grateful she wasn’t going to detention for this. Last time the teacher had been far less sympathetic, assuming she’d somehow been idiot enough to stab holes in her own vodka-filled water bottle.

    She was able to get most of it out, but her clothes still smelled like cheap liquor, so did her textbook, and all her ruined paper. Great, just great. If her parents even thought they smelled alcohol it wouldn’t be good. Last time they’d given her one of their beating-infused lectures and refused her food for three days. At least she’d still been allowed to take the test when she came back. Even with her late start she was able to finish it without being late to lunch.

    Jade had stopped by her locker to drop off her vodka-smelling textbook when Kevin came by, small cooler in hand, only to wrinkle his nose once he was in close quarters. “Who vodka-bombed you?”

    “I don’t know,” she sighed, slamming her locker. “What’d she pack today?”

    “Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Anything else get splashed?”

    “Everything,” Jade mumbled, turning towards the cafeteria. “Will your mom mind if I barrow her washing machine after school?”

    Kevin snorted. “No. You should know that by now.”

    Jade only offered a weak shrug, keeping her head down as the flow of students swept them towards the cafeteria. At the very least it seemed rude to just assume and not ask. She didn’t look forward to spending the rest of the day smelling like vodka, but at least she wouldn’t go home with it. Maybe they could get it out of her textbook too.

    The doors were in sight when the PA system buzzed on, and the secretary’s voice echoed through the halls. “Jade Chen, please come to the front office. Jade Chen, please report to the front office.”

    She and Kevin exchanged a look. “What’s that about?”

    “I don’t know. Go on, save me some meatloaf.”

    “Want me to go with you?”

    “I’m fine. Go eat.”

    It was tempting, but if at all possible she didn’t like dragging her friends into her messes. What, had a less sympathetic teacher caught wind of her liquor incident? She’d never drunk in her life, but her siblings had taken it up from the moment they could pass as twenty-one. Her parents hadn’t cared if they drank, so long as they didn’t do anything embarrassing while drunk. The same rules applied to themselves. But if she or _Nai-Nai_ so much as looked at a bottle sideways they were way out of line. Yet another double standard Jade had had to learn to deal with.

    She wasn’t sure what to expect when she made it to the office, but she stopped in her tracks once she was in the door. Mary Winchester stood by the desk, talking amicably with the secretary, one of those cubical reusable shopping bags in hand. When Jade stepped into the office, the Pack Omega turned and smiled at her, something she barely caught as she hurridly dropped her gaze.

    “Poor thing, who did this to you?” Mary was asking, sounding dismayed as she stepped over.

    “Not sure,” Jade mumbled to her shoes. “It something wrong?”

    She was surprised when Mary offered her the bag. “Here. Change into this, those need to be washed. I’m afraid this is the only thing I had that might fit you.”

    Jade stared at the bag being offered to her. “I-I don’t…you don’t have to….how did you….?”

    “Dean texted me,” she said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders and leading her towards a single-room handicap bathroom attached to the main office. “I think he saw who did it, he mentioned getting you a change of clothes while he dealt with them. I’ll come back by later so you can change back into them. In you go.”

    Before Jade could protest she found the bag pushed into her hands and herself pushed into the bathroom, the door shut on her heals. She stared for a moment, then slowly reached to turn on the light. Trying very hard not to look into the mirror, she set the bag on the floor and pulled out its contents. Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t what she found. Previously when she’d seen Mary, she’d been wearing jeans and a Harley Davidson t-shirt. Today she was in an even rattier pair of jeans and a white shirt under a half buttoned red plaid shirt. She struck Jade as a very practical dresser, her clothing choices not unlike those of her eldest son. But Jade was holding a long sundress that would probably come to Mary’s knees, layered white fabric with little lacy, very girly touches and inch-wide shoulder straps. It would probably contrast very starkly with her own battered and black converse high-tops, but it was clean and didn’t smell anything like liquor.

    After a moment’s hesitation, Jade put the dress back into the bag and set about stripping off her own reeking clothes. Once they were folded up she wetted a paper towel, dabbing a bit of hand soap on it and scrubbing down tainted skin as best she could. It was hardly a thorough shower, but it would do. When the smell of vodka was replaced with the more tolerable scent of cheap soap, she picked the dress back up and slid it over her head.

    The hem fell nearly to her feet, but once she’d adjusted the shoulder straps it hung well on her torso, and when she’d tied the long strings firmly around her hips it didn’t seem quite so ill-fitting. When she was done she finally looked to the mirror, bracing herself. It wasn’t _that_ bad, but then she wasn’t used to wearing something like this. Mindy didn’t have sundresses.

    Sucking in a shaky breath, Jade opened the door and stepped back out. Mary smiled, stepping forward to adjust some of her hair over her shoulders. “Not bad. I was worried they wouldn’t adjust enough.” She fiddled with a strap, making sure it wasn’t loose, then did the same for the waist tie.

    “You-you didn’t…didn’t have to do this,” Jade mumbled to her toes.

    Mary made a disapproving sound. “Someone has to. All due respect, I don’t think your pack is going to step up. Besides, thanks to you we won’t have to ground Dean for getting another D in math. Now go.”

    Before Jade could respond she found herself pushed back into the hall, Mary marching towards the parking lot. For a moment the younger Omega stared after her, then hurried back to the cafeteria. She got a few odd looks, particularly from her friends as she dropped down next to Kevin at their table.

    “Who was it?” Kevin was asking, frowning at the dress.

    “Where’d you get that?” Tessa asked, eyebrows arched.

    Dean was sitting across from her, looking very innocent as Jade demanded quietly, “What did you do?”

    “Nothing.”

    Opening two Tupperware containers, one of meatloaf and one of potatoes, Jade gave him a weary look. “Then why am I wearing your mother’s dress?”

    “That’s Mary’s?” Meg asked incredulously. “Didn’t think she owned a dress.”

    “She does, she just don’t wear ‘em much,” Dean protested around a mouthful of lasagna.

    Jade eyed his hands as Kevin asked, “How’d the test go?”

    “Good, good.”

    “That was quick.”

    “I had a good teacher.”

    Jade’s gaze jerked up from knuckles in the latter stages of healing, then snapped down to the table, embarrassed. “Good,” she mumbled, forking mashed potatoes into her mouth.

    “Who was it?” Kevin urged, tone serious. “You saw them?”

    “Dunno his name. Some Beta. Said he was Sinclair something. Seemed to think it mattered.”

    Jade almost choked. Cuthbert Sinclair? The only son of the wealthiest family in Lawrence? The one who was only in their lowly public school because he seemed to enjoy ‘slumming it’? Those were his words, she’d heard them. What had Dean done to him?

    “I would have liked to of seen that,” Anna chuckled.

    “Don’t, it was pathetic,” Dean scoffed.

    “I’m more interested in how she got you to sit still long enough to listen,” Keven protested. “I’m the one who tried helping you with algebra before we moved, remember?”

    “Why do you think I’ve been getting D’s and C’s instead of F’s?”

    “That’s just sad.”

    “Hey, I’m fine everywhere else,” Dean protested.

    “You know what your problem is? You spend too much time in the dojo.”

    “There’s not one here,” the Alpha protested. “I would if I could. I’m making do.”

    “You talk like your slumming it,” Cas interjected, eyeing the wolf.

    “Comparatively, I am.”

    “When you had an actual dojo you never used it.”

    “Whose side are you on?”

    “No one’s. Forgive me if I find your prima donna act irritating.”

    “You’re just crabby because you haven’t slept.”

    Cas gave him a dark look. “You try tending a pup with a stomach bug and see how well you sleep.”

    “It was just twenty-four hours?”

    “A very long twenty-four hours,” Meg confirmed. “Shut up and eat, Seacrest. We’re not in the mood.”

    They’d seemed fine earlier, but now that Jade was looking harder she noticed both had shadows under their eyes. Cas in particular looked more worn down then usual. What’s more, both had been cordial to her this morning. Perhaps it had simply been because she hadn’t been irking them. At first it had shocked her, how his own pack sometimes addressed Dean, but she’d grown used to it. She didn’t expect such leeway herself, not yet, but it had become intriguing to watch. Her own father had bowled over subordinates for less, but Dean didn’t seem to take serious offence. It was fascinating to her, seeing things unfold. She felt like something of an anthropologist, just hoping she’d be able to see more play out before she was forced to leave.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    As promised Mary came by after school, freshly washed clothes in hand. Jade was able to meet with her before mathletes, thanking her profusely as she changed back out of the dress and returned it as neatly folded as possible. The elder Omega dismissed it and shooed her on her way with a command to, “Just see if you can get him up to a B.”

    Jade promised to do just that. By the time mathletes practice was over the library was closed, though. She was very reluctant to leave the school, where they might raise more questions, so they went up to the roof instead. There was a steady wind blowing, cooling the air a bit so it wasn’t sweltering. It was September yet, there weren’t many cool days. But what the roof lacked in air conditioning it made up for with privacy.

    “Find the antiderivative.”

    Dean eyed the practice equation she’d scribbled out, gnawing on a pen cap as he worked it. Jade watched, then nodded approvingly when he reached the end, circling his answer. “That?”

    “Good. Now the derivative.”

    “Again?”

    Jade sat back against the roof’s low wall, twirling her pencil. “The martial arts you study, how did you master the techniques?”

    “Repetition,” he admitted grudgingly.

    “And general exercise, right?”

    “Right.”

    “But why? It seems to me you’re getting exercise aplenty during your training.”

    “Well yeah, but it’s…practice. It strengthens everything, sometimes it’s a good warmup. What’s that got to do with this?”

    “This,” Jade tapped the paper full of practice equations they’d been working, “is exercise for this.” It was easier to be bolder around Dean, especially when they were alone. Otherwise she would have never reached up to lightly tap his forehead. “Even if you don’t intend to go into a profession that requires calculus, and most won’t, it’s more or less a workout for your brain. Running or lifting weights don’t directly contribute to…what is it you’re trained in?” Kevin had mentioned it, but she’d forgotten.

    “Hapkido, mostly. Some Muay Thai.”

    Jade blinked. She hadn’t heard of either one of those, but continued her point. “How long have you been doing them?”

    “Since I was five.”

    “Really?” she asked, a little surprised.

    He smiled faintly. “Yeah. Apparently Mom was worried I’d break the whole house if they didn’t find some outlet for my extra energy. Dad couldn’t find another sport I liked enough to do for more than five minutes, so he started bringing me to the dojo every day. An old friend of Bobby’s, Rufus Turner, ran the place. He knocked me on my ass so many times in that first week alone I lost count. Got me hooked, though. Didn’t put up with my shit, best teacher a guy could ask for.”

    Jade hummed thoughtfully. “He didn’t have you bench-pressing people though, right?”

    His lips twitched at that. “No.”

    “You do it so you can train better, right?”

    “Yeah, I guess.”

    “Consider this bench pressing for your brain. Now find the derivative.”

    She was sitting back to let him work it out in peace when she noticed the sun dipping below the horizon. She fumbled, pulling out her phone to check the time, wincing when she read the numbers. Hurridly Jade began cramming her things into her backpack, giving her hand a good shake to try and get rid of the tremors.

    “What’s wrong?”

    “It’s late, didn’t realize how late. I have to get home. Kevin’s probably already left.”

    “I can give you a lift- “

    “No, it’s fine. Tessa lives closest, I can call her.”

    “Then I’ll give you a lift to her place.”

    Jade worried her lip, eyeing the setting sun. They might not care much when she got home, but she was expected to cook dinner, and tonight they’d wanted kung pao chicken with pork dumplings. The kung pao chicken wouldn’t take her long, even after she more than doubled the recipe. But pork dumplings from scratch could take a while.

    “You’ve already done enough.”

    Dean gave her a deadpan look, shoving his papers into his own bag. “Come on.”

    Apparently he wasn’t taking no for an answer, and considering her current time constraints Jade decided it was a risk she’d have to take. How much scent could possibly cling to her, anyway? So long as there was no physical contact she should be fine.

    They descended the four flights of stairs, then skirted the building to the mostly empty parking lot. The famous Impala was one of the last remaining vehicles in the lot, and only when she saw it did Jade remember she was being offered something that could easily be considered exclusive. Even Kevin rarely road in the Impala, though in his defense they didn’t often go to the same place at the same time.

    Honestly Jade was almost afraid to touch it, and she’d planned on climbing in the backseat. Dean surprised her by coming around to the passenger’s side and opening the front door, looking at her expectantly. “Are, um, are you sure?”

    “What’s to be sure about? Get in.”

    Taking that as a ‘yes’, Jade carefully climbed into the Impala, perching on the passenger’s seat and taking up as little room as possible as Dean slammed the door shut. He slid behind the wheel a minute later, starting the engine and pulling out. Jade eyed the stereo as loud rock music blasted through the speakers the moment Baby was rumbling. While he did turn down the volume a bit, it still kept playing.

    “Led Zeppelin?” she asked quietly. It had come up during chemistry one day, when he’d started her talking about music.

    “Nope, Metallica.”

    Maybe she’d been wrong about the scent. The Impala was clean, in pristine condition, but it smelled strongly of leather and Alpha and _Dean._ She was practically steeping in it. While she knew this was bad, Jade couldn’t bring herself to resent it. She liked it too much.

    “Which way?”

    “Make a left at the next light.”

    It wasn’t far, barely ten minutes, but as they were pulling into Tessa’s driveway Jade found herself wishing she’d asked to be taken to Kevin’s instead. Even so she was quick to push open her door, climbing out. “Thanks.”

    “See you tomorrow?”

    “Yeah.” She even managed a smile as she slammed the door shut.

    Jade glanced back after she’d poked the doorbell, but Dean only left when Tessa opened the door and waved. Once inside Tessa didn’t ask about her ride, but she did give Jade a rub-down with one of her jackets for good measure before getting the keys to her own car. It must have done the trick, no one questioned it when she got home, just complained about being hungry and urging her to hurry up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80, BrokenWings0712, and HenriaSownbinder!

    Jade drummed her fingers on their table’s surface, trying to tamper her irritation. It was Friday, and the fourth day this week she was sitting down with Dean to work on calculus. Or at least that was their intention. She had miscalculated how much interference popularity could incur, and despite his habit of beating people up he _was_ popular.

    The fourth person in a row to interrupt them within the last hour finally left, at which point Dean gave her one of his innocent looks. She was starting to find them very annoying, as he only seemed to use them when he knew good and well what he’d done. “What?” he asked, tone equally innocent.

    “Is there somewhere else you would rather go?” she asked, keeping her voice low out of respect for the library. Something none of their visitors had done.

    “What’s wrong with here?”

    “We’re not getting anything done.” Likely because they’d learned he could be found here imminently after classes were over. At least on days when Jade didn’t have previous engagements. He had his own, especially since he was now on the boxing team, but they still had windows of an hour or two at a time they could work out.

    “What do you mean? Thought you said we were making progress.”

    “We are, when we’re not being interrupted by every Tom, Dick, and Harry who decides they want some face time with you.” It had gotten very easy to be frank with him, particularly since she’d started tutoring him. It was difficult to tiptoe around someone who required something of a firm hand to stay on task. Once he could, though, he made that excellent progress she’d been talking about.

    “Got any better ideas?”

    Jade flipped her pencil in one hand, worrying her lip. “Not here, no,” she admitted reluctantly

    “What about somewhere else?”

    “The public library’s packed this time a day, there’s not really anywhere else.”

    “Ain’t there a park or something around here?”

    Jade considered that for a moment. “There’s Byrd Park, but it’s mostly just trails. Humans are the only ones who really use them.”

    “So they’re not real crowded?”

    “Probably not.”

    “Let’s go there, then. There’s probably picnic tables or whatever.”

    “You sure?”

    “Yeah, let’s go.”

    Jade might have still said no, but she hadn’t been able to go to Byrd Park very often. Yes it was mostly met for humans, but it was still nice. If you were willing to leave the trail there was this really big, old oak tree next to a wide, shallow rocky stream she liked to find. Granted most of her visits to that spot were after they’d hunted her and it had been early enough for her to limp to it, but still. It was peaceful, calming.

    With that in mind, she agreed. For the second time that week she got to ride in the Impala, though she did try to keep her head down until they were away from the town proper. Sure enough, when they got there only two other cars were in the parking lot and no one was at the picnic tables just beyond it. Nice and quiet. Perfect.

    Granted they were only there for half an hour, but they made more progress than they had in their whole hour at the library. Jade wasn’t sure how often it would be empty like this, but she made a note to remember it for later. Not only did they have the privacy, but this was the second time they were outside and Dean seemed to find it easier to focus. Maybe it was the fresh air?

    As had become their routine Dean dropped her off at a friend’s house, this time Samandriel’s, so she could get a ride home that wouldn’t raise suspicion. She’d had to bite the bullet on Wednesday, when one of Sherman’s coworker’s had told him about seeing Dean fucking Winchester sharing a library table with his bitch sister. All four of them had pounced on her when she’d come up for breakfast that morning, and she’d had to do some fast talking to avoid going to school with fresh bruises. Yes, she was spending some time with someone they’d told her to avoid, but the pack had sprawled all over the school, he was hard to avoid completely. What’s more, math was the class in which she had the strongest A. Dean was struggling. She’d offered to help him out on the condition they were always in public and never left school grounds. It was her fault they had such a delicate treaty with the Winchester-Campbell pack in the first place, this way she could garner good favor from them. Favor that could be beneficial to the Chen pack _and_ carry over to the Morningstar pack.

    Sherman and Lee had still wanted to hunt her on principle, but apparently since Morningstar had gotten a look at her Li Jun was more reluctant to risk damaging her. They’d settled for not giving her breakfast and berating her for not clearing a plan with them first. Jade was relieved, even with her and Kevin planning ahead she’d gotten off easy. Their ‘punishment’ wasn’t much different than what she got on any given day anyhow.

    Saturday morning, Jade had barely finished putting away the washed breakfast dishes when William and Lucy dropped off Katrina. Apparently they had decided to take a day for themselves, but in the month or so of saving up and planning for it they had neglected to mention this to Jade. This threw a wrench into things, as this particular Saturday was a day _Nai-Nai_ had intended to play dominoes. She’d been delighted to discover there was a group of people around her own age who met once a month to play when they’d last gone to the farmer’s market, as she hadn’t been able to play with anyone since they’d left China. Today Jade had intended to drive her to the community center, maybe sit and watch to see if she could pick it up. Now she had a rambunctious five-year-old on her hands who had a serious case of ants in her pants.

    _“Just bring her with us,”_ _Nai-Nai_ sighed as Katrina ran in circles in their living room, arms out, shouting nonsense at top volume. _“There’s a park next door, remember? Maybe there will be others there her age to play with. It’s a beautiful day outside, maybe we can get her to wear herself out.”_

_“What if she doesn’t want to go?”_

    Eyes twinkling, _Nai-Nai_ stated loud enough for Katrina to hear, “Then she won’t be allowed to go to the ice-cream shop across the street.”

    That stopped the rampaging tyke cold. “Ice-cream, ice-cream, I want ice-cream _now!”_

    “No, we’re going into town for the morning,” _Nai-Nai_ told her patiently. “If you behave and eat your lunch, then we’ll get ice-cream.”

    Katrina pouted, arms folded. “But I want it _now,_ give it to me right now.”

   “Good behavior first, then ice-cream.” Turning to Jade she said, “Get the keys, I’ll get my purse.”

    It was a trick Jade often used herself, carrying on as though everything was agreed upon and the disagreeable pup would usually grudgingly go along with minimal foot dragging. Katrina pouted most of the way, but she did come along willingly enough. Jade carefully drove them into town, parking in a lot between the community center and the children’s park. _Nai-Nai_ shooed them towards the park, right before Jade had to snag Katrina by the collar of her shirt to keep her from running into traffic. Despite the fact the pup would have run directly into the path of a pickup, she turned around and kicked Jade right in the shin. She winced, but managed to keep Katrina at arm’s length as they walked/limped towards the park’s gate. Once they were through she gladly released the pup, huffing and bracing her hands on her hips as Katrina sped to the nearest playset.

    The Omega was making her way towards the nearest empty bench when she heard, “Jade?”

    She turned to see a surprised looking Meg, pink Barbie backpack in one hand, small camo jacket in the other. “Oh. Hey.”

    “Why’re you here?” Meg asked, unzipping the backpack so she could stuff in the jacket.

    “I, um, got stuck babysitting.” She waved a hand absently at the lone Asian pup on the playset, currently running up the slide. “Why’re you here?”

    “Parenting.” She straightened, jerking a thumb back towards the jungle gym, a fifteen-foot tall dome of bars to climb around on. Jade followed the motion, finally noticing Cas standing a safe distance away, watching a blond pup clamber around like a little monkey, chattering and giggling.

    “Is that Claire?”

    “Yep. Clarence has her, I was going to go get some coffee. Want to come with?”

    “I can’t, I have to watch her.”

    Meg turned, stuck two fingers in her mouth, and gave a short, sharp whistle. Cas turned, and Meg pointed two fingers towards her own eyes, then at Katrina. Her mate followed her gaze, took notice of the other pup, then nodded.

    “He’s got it. Come on.” Sliding her arm through Jade’s, Meg led the way back out the gates.

    “You sure? She usually ignores me, but if she notices I’m gone…”

    “She’ll what? Tell?” Meg asked incredulously.

    _Yes._ On one hand, out loud it did sound lame. Particularly if you didn’t know the consequences first hand. But when Jade looked back towards Katrina she was focused entirely on dominating the playset. They wouldn’t be gone long, right?

    There was a Starbucks half a block away, next to the diner where they were going to take Katrina for lunch and ice-cream. Jade didn’t generally go to such places, both because she never physically went and she was given a meager allowance to last her a month, assuming they remembered. They had only remembered twice in ten years, so _Nai-Nai_ gave her some of hers. Jade assumed the lone reason Li Jun was slightly better at taking care of her was because she was his mother.

    Once inside staring at the menu, it occurred to Jade she had no idea what half the things were. Meg seemed to find this highly amusing, and once she stopped laughing at her plight made a few suggestions. Jade took a delicate sip of the Frappuccino with her name written on it as they left the shop, making an impressed sound. There was definitely coffee in it, along with the whipped cream, but it was cold, sweet. She liked it.

    “Who are you babysitting, anyway?” Meg asked as they wandered back towards the park.

    “Pack-mate’s pup. They’re taking a day, and they needed someone to watch her.”

    “How’d you get into town? I thought you didn’t drive.”

    “I have a learner’s permit,” she admitted carefully.

    “So who drove in with you?”

    “My grandmother. She’s playing dominoes across the street.”

    “How long have you had that learner’s permit?”

    “Two years.”

    Meg shot her a sharp glance. “Seriously?”

    Jade nodded, sucking on her drink.

    “Why?”

    “They didn’t even want me learn to drive,” she admitted quietly. _“Nai-Nai_ taught me. She convinced them I’d be more useful that way, but I don’t do it often. I’m never comfortable behind the wheel anyway.”

    _“Nai-Nai_ your grandma?”

    “Yeah.”

    “That’s bullshit. You know that, right?”

    Jade chose not to comment.

    “Do they ask before they dump pups on you?” Meg demanded abruptly. “Or do they just say ‘here, watch my brat while I paint the town red’.”

    When Jade still didn’t answer, Meg growled softly.

    “No offence, but your pack is full of dicks.”

    That time she managed a weak smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ve been called worse.”

    Meg almost snorted her drink. “I think that’s the closest thing you’ve come to an insult. Kudo’s.”

    “Thanks.”

    “Baby steps,” Meg mused ruefully. “Baby steps.”

    Katrina had turned her attention to a sandbox, making little piles to crush, when they made it back. Oblivious to her supposed caretaker’s absence. Claire, meanwhile, was manning the plastic pirate ship, fending off a ‘kraken’. That roll was being played by an Alpha who was skulking around the structure, avoiding imaginary cannon fodder and the slash of an invisible sward.

    “See? She’s fine,” Meg chided, leading them over to a bench. She dropped the backpack onto it, plopping down and crossing her legs. “Sit, relax. Looks like you need it.”

    Jade carefully perched on the bench, eyeing her charge. At least there weren’t many other pups in the areas Katrina had dominated thus far. Like most of her other packmates, she didn’t play well with others. For some reason Katrina just happened to be the worst of their pups. Jade knew full well she’d likely have to separate at least one fight while they were here.

    “Thanks,” she said quietly. “This is nice.”

    “Yep. But I’m gonna have to beat her ass if she licks another water fountain.” As Jade almost snorted Frappuccino she added, “And he’s on the couch if he lets her again.”

    “I, um, wouldn’t worry.”

    Meg grunted, sipping her own drink. “You don’t know her. She’s tricky. She was trying to play us against each other when she was two. _Two._ You know what that little bitch did? I said she couldn’t have more than one cookie after dinner. I don’t give two shits about sugar, but she’d had almost a dozen while me and Gabriel were baking them, you know? You gatta cut ‘em off sometime. Then, with me still sitting right there, she looks over at him and asks him the same question. He said no. So she follows it up with, ‘is mom the boss of you?’.”

    Jade blinked. From what she understood, that was it, case closed. The Alpha in question would say something to the effect of ‘hell no’ and give the pup as many cookies as they wanted. “Oh.”

    “What, you think he gave it to her?” Meg asked, eyebrows arched.

    “What did he say?”

    “’Yes, she is, now eat your carrots.’ Gatta love that dorky bastard,” Meg chuckled, finishing off her drink.

    Jade blinked. That was…interesting. Then again, it seemed oddly in keeping with what else she’d experienced with the pack. She pulled her gaze from Katrina, who had taken up digging, studying the other pup as she balanced on the ship’s edge, arms out to each side. It was closer than the jungle gym had been so she could hear the clear declaration of, “A captain always goes down with their ship!” before Claire stepped off the edge. Cas caught her, spinning her around, making growling scarfing noises as the pup wailed, “I’m being eaten! I’m being eaten alive!”. It was…oddly adorable.

    “You’re lucky,” Jade said quietly.

    Meg gave her a sharp look. “Lucky? Me? That’s funny.”

    “I’m serious. You have a pack that cares for you. A mate and pup who love you. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but…”

    The other Omega shook her head, tossing her empty cup into a nearby trash can. “Lucky. Yeah, now, I guess. But I’ve only been lucky for a few years.” Leaning back against the bench, folding her arms as Claire moved on to the playset, she heaved a short sigh. “I don’t know what kind of messed up situation you’ve got going on. Dean’s calmed down a little so I’m guessing you told him, or at least he’s got a better idea, but I’m willing to bet it’s not so different from my old pack.”

    “Your old pack?” Jade echoed.

    “Well, I say pack. My parents didn’t get along with enough Shifters, so it was just us. Two adults and six pups in a shit-hole of an apartment. I was the oldest, but all the others were Alphas. I was an Omega. They had debts. They both worked two jobs but they had real crap luck at the tables. Didn’t know they were putting the word out until they told me to pack a bag.”

    “Wait, how old were you?”

    “Just turned fifteen. Some birthday present, huh?”

    “Oh. I’m…I’m sorry.”

    “Hey, I got her out of the deal, and my unicorn, I came out alright. Just hate the hell those fuckers put me through to get it. Ever hear of the Novak flock?”

    Jade’s eyes widened. Yes, she’d heard of them. One of the oldest avian families in North America, and one of the largest in the world to survive both world wars. Obviously she’d never met them, but she’d heard stories.

    “But I thought your last name was Masters.”

    “We picked it out of a phone book. I didn’t want to keep my parent’s last name, he wanted to ditch his. It worked out. See, Gabriel isn’t his only brother. He’s got two more, both older. Raphael’s handling the Canadian branch, but Michael runs the American estate. He’s the oldest, so he was in charge of the two youngest ones. And when I say estate I mean _estate,_ a few hundred acers, beautiful ancient house, garage the size of my old apartment complex, the works. But Michael had devoted this one wing to people like me. He had this young Omega wolf fetish.”

    “How was that legal?”

    “He knew who to pay off and had the resources to do it,” Meg said with a shrug. “Besides, we’re Shifters and he had parental consent. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all bad. I had my own room for the first time, three square meals and full access to the kitchen, a monthly allowance, on-call doctor. Didn’t even lock us up, so long as we behaved. Once he got you out of his system he only came by a few times a month. Took him a week before he got tired of me. So I start wandering around, and I meet the other Novak’s. Ran into Clarence a few days after Michael took off the first time.” Chuckling, she mused, “Literally. I turned a corner and he knocked me on my ass. Had his nose in a Russian copy of ‘War and Peace’. Then he got all flustered, helped me up, made sure I was okay. Nicest an Alpha had ever been to me when he wasn’t popping my cherry.”

    Jade’s face felt very hot, for all it sounded very probable. She doubted she’d ever be able to talk about such things as freely as Meg. Though she hadn’t known Cas spoke Russian.

    “A few months go by, I get to know him and Gabriel pretty well. Michael’s gone a lot, the other concubines didn’t like to mingle, and none of the servants wanted to come within spitting distance if they didn’t have to. I got along with Gabriel well enough, but I had a soft spot for Clarence early on. Michael wasn’t exactly thrilled when he found out, but by that time the doc had announced I was knocked up, and he’d give us just about anything until we popped out the pup. Assuming we lived, anyway.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “We were young,” Meg said simply. “Childbirth is fucking trauma, even when you’re grown. Omega or Beta, your most fertile period is in your twenties.”

    “I thought it was eighteen to- “

    “That’s bullshit the patriarchy feeds you so you don’t throw a bitch fit,” Meg scoffed. “My first week there? They had to burry a sixteen-year-old. Her son lived, she didn’t. Did he give a fuck? I don’t think so.”

    “Is that when you tried to leave?”

    “Not exactly. You have to remember, I was fifteen. I was young and scared and depending on the day I was in a lot of pain. They didn’t bother hiding anything, which was almost worse. Besides, we had the best of everything so long as we toed the line. I think I was about four months along when I realized I didn’t want the best of everything, I just…I just wanted Clarence. So I told him, and he told me to pack a bag.”

    “Just like that?”

    Meg shrugged. “Just like that. He’s smart, you know. Got his GED when he was thirteen, started taking classes online, got his pilot’s license. That last one was his idea, the rest was Michael pushing him when they figured out just how high his IQ is. Only reason he’s in school with us now is because John and Mary wanted him to have a shot at being a real kid for a change. It can be a pain, but they mean well.”

    Jade stared down at her mostly empty cup, slowly stirring the whipped cream with her long, green straw.

    “That night he took me and Gabriel and put us on this little plane he’d gotten as soon as he was licensed, and he flew all three of us from Illinois to South Dakota. Landed us on the highway outside of the pack’s old place, scared the shit out of some locals, and knocked on their front door.”

    “What did he offer?” Jade asked carefully, brow furrowed.

    “Himself.”

    “I don’t understand.” It seemed very unusual for the situation. Generally bargaining was done with Omegas.

    “Your pack’s weird. Just admit that. With normal packs, especially bigger ones, you have to pick your lieutenants carefully. You need someone who’s capable, a good leader in their own right, but loyal, and not so ambitious you have to worry about them turning on you. Too many Pack Betas have tried to stab their Pack Alphas in the back over the years, trust me. He wasn’t going to offer either of us, but he had an eleven-year-old Omega and knocked-up me, so he offered complete loyalty if they kept us safe. Asylum in exchange for faithful surface in whatever capacity they saw fit for as long as they’d have him. The pack’s big enough Dean-o’s going to need more than just Benny to help him when the time comes, Cas’s the right age, and no one can say his credentials aren’t impressive. Once he gave them the Cliff Notes of Mikey’s operation they couldn’t draw up a contract fast enough, and he signed it in blood. He’s never going any higher than a Pack Beta, but he got us a home, a safe place to belong. I felt safer in that tiny hospital than I ever did in that state-of-the-art joint Michael kept sending me to.”

    “Didn’t he try to get you back?” Jade asked, worried. Meg _had_ been carrying his pup.

    “He did,” Meg admitted. “Didn’t work. Once he figured out we had the mother of all badass packs protecting us he turned tail. It was awesome. Didn’t even try signing the birth certificate, not that I would have let him.”

    “It…just has your name on it?”

    “Nope. My unicorn signed it. But he wouldn’t risk mating me until after I had her, then put it off for three fucking months. He signed her birth certificate, he’s the one she calls ‘Papa’, and…I mean look at him. The big dork is better with her than I am. When she gets old enough he’s gonna be the one to teach her to fly.”

    “She’s an eagle?”

    “Yep.”

    “How…how old is she?”

    “Turned three last month.”

    Jade hesitated, then said quietly, “I’m sorry I called you lucky.”

    “Yeah, well, you didn’t know. Didn’t mean to tell you my damn life story, but I figured it might do you good.”

    “How do you mean?”

    “You’re not alone,” Meg said simply. “And I just realized how fucking much I’ve been swearing. Sorry, but I gatta get it out now, I can’t do it around her.” Jerking her chin at Jade’s charge, she asked, “What’s her name?”

    “Katrina.”

    “She a pain?”

    “I’m afraid so.”

    “Does she play well with others?”

    “Not really. Why?”

    “She’s about to get her ass kicked.”

    Jade hadn’t realized she’d stopped watching, let her mind wander as she took in the bombshell Meg was dropping. Her head jerked around in time to see Katrina, now back on the playset, push Claire back a step. Apparently she took offense to someone playing on ‘her’ territory.

    “Oh no,” Jade muttered, hurridly throwing away her mostly empty drink and trotting over.

    “Leave me alone, I just want to slide. You’re not using it,” Claire was protesting.

    Katrina planted herself squarely in the smaller wolf’s path, hands on hips. “No,” she stated emphatically.

    Cas hadn’t intervened, but his eyes were narrowing slightly as he watched the exchange. Jade hurridly braced a foot on one of the ladders, pulling herself up so she was on their eye level. “Katrina, maybe you should- “

    “Shut up! _Mama_ and _Baba_ said I don’t have to listen to you,” the pup snapped in her brattiest tone.

    “I know, but there’s no reason you can’t share.”

    “Sharing’s not fun. This is _mine,_ go someplace else.”

    “Did you put your name on it?” Claire challenged.

    Katrina’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

    “If you haven’t put your name on it, it’s not yours. Move.”

    Claire took a step forward, then took three back as she was given a hard shove. Jade reached through the opening at the top of the ladder, trying to grab Katrina’s arm, only to get promptly kicked in the face with a sneaker. She grunted, stumbling to her feet in the sand below.

    “Meanie!”

    Jade looked up in time to see Claire take a fighting stance, one foot sliding forward, hands coming up. It looked almost comical on a three-year-old, not that she had time to laugh. Doubtless Katrina didn’t even recognize what the stance meant. Obvious confusion was on her face, right before Claire’s foot snapped up, hitting Katrina squarely in the ribs, knocking her into the side bars. Then she surged forward, grabbed fistfuls of her shirt, and slung the taller pup down onto the playset’s floor, resuming her previous stance.

    Then a wide smile lit Claire’s face, and she started bouncing up and down excitedly. “I did it! Did you see, Mama? I did it just like Uncle Dean showed me!”

    As much as she wanted to enjoy this moment, or perhaps ask what exactly ‘Uncle Dean’ had been showing a toddler, Jade didn’t have that luxury. Katrina was _not_ used to this. She was accustomed to pushing other tykes around, throwing tantrums until adults gave in out of exasperation, always getting her way. Apparently she’d never been on the other end of this before. As Jade watched, her face crumbled into angry tears.

    Sighing softly, Jade reluctantly pulled Katrina off the playset, setting her on her feet and dusting her off. “You’re fine, you’re fine. You’re not hurt, you’re- “

    “I’m not fine!” Katrina erupted, punching Jade in the shoulder.

    “Okay, just take a deep breath,” Jade pleaded.

    “No,” the pup yelled. “You promised me ice-cream. I want ice-cream.”

    “If you behaved. Bullying is hardly behaving. Ow!”

    Katrina had grabbed two fistfuls of Jade’s long hair and yanked, hard. Shifter or not, some things still hurt. Jade dropped to one knee, trying to pry Katrina’s surprisingly strong fingers off, only to get sand kicked in her face. With one last hard yank, Katrina wrenched free and threw herself on the ground, going into full tantrum mode. Kicking and screaming and just generally being a loud, obnoxious brat. It was humiliating and grating and Jade hated it. But short of giving the pup in question what they wanted she’d never found a way to stop it. Well, that or wearing themselves out, but that tactic was preferable if they weren’t out in public.

    She took a few steps back, out of range of kicked sand, watching in weary dismay as Katrina kicked off. Jade reluctantly spared a glance for her friends, not sure what she’d see. Meg, who was now holding Claire on one hip, was glaring at the pup writhing on the ground. Cas was regarding the pup as if she’d developed some sort of psychosis, head tilted.

    “I’m sorry,” Jade mumbled weakly.

    “This ain’t you, this is…” Meg glanced at Claire, then reluctantly continued, “This is crap parenting. Just walk away.”

    “Last time I tried that they said I abandoned them.”

    “Logic doesn’t appear to be your pack’s strong suit,” Cas noted, tone dry.

    “Nope,” Jade muttered in agreement.

    “It might not be fun, but wait her out. It’s your best bet. Good luck.”

    Hefting her pup higher on one hip, Meg turned toward the gate. Cas inclined his head politely to Jade, then went to pick up the backpack before following her towards the parking lot. Once they were gone Jade sighed wearily, sitting on the plastic edge that surrounded the sandy area, putting her elbows on her knees, chin in her hands. She stayed there, not saying a word, not budging, even when Katrina got around to kicking and punching her again, yanking on her hair and screaming the whole way.

    The demonic brat kept it up for the better part of an hour. Jade hated it. Hated the looks they got, hated how other kids avoided the playset, hated being bruised and battered by a stupid half-grown pup who thought she was better than her. But there she stayed, waiting mutely for the tirade to end.

    Jade wasn’t exactly keeping a stop watch, but she was guessing it was at least an hour before Katrina trudged over to where she sat, falling into an upright heap a few feet away.

    “Why…why won’t you do anything?” she panted, looking fully drained.

    Raising weary eyes to regard her, Jade asked dully, “Do you think you deserve it?”

    “Yeah.”

    “I don’t.”

    “I’m telling.”

    “I know.”

    “I hate you.”

    “I know.” Regarding the pup wearily, Jade added, “I’m sorry.”

    It was interesting, seeing a five-year-old sneer. “What for?”

    “I know what it’s like.”

    “You don’t know anything. I heard my parents talking. You’re a bitch. You’re useless. You’re ugly and you’re stupid and no one will ever love you.”

    “I know what it’s like, when you think your parents don’t love you.”

    “My parents love _me,_ yours don’t love _you,”_ Katrina snapped.

    “I know they don’t,” Jade sighed. “Are you done?”

    “Are you going to get me ice-cream?”

    The last thing this dishonorable little demonic brat deserved was ice-cream. Of that Jade was sure. She felt like crying herself. But she knew that wouldn’t go over well.

    “Get me ice-cream, or I’ll tell them you were mean to me.”

    “You’re going to tell them either way.”

    Katrina pouted. “No I’m not.”

    “You and every other pup in our pack always tells. What’s the point?”

    For a minute she didn’t say anything. Then, to Jade’s surprise, she spoke up. “I won’t tell them what you did, if you get me ice-cream.”

    “You’re bluffing,” Jade sighed.

    “What’s bluffing?”

    “You’re lying, trying to get me to believe you so you can trick me.”

    “I’m not a liar.”

    Jade considered this, eyeing the pup. Katrina looked exhausted, her eyes bloodshot, cheeks still tear streaked, covered in dust and sand from all her writhing and running around. While she was still labeled demonic in Jade’s eyes, she did look quite pathetic now. It wasn’t her fault her parents sucked, anymore than it was Jade’s fault hers were the way they were. Anymore than it had been Meg’s fault.

    After a long minute, Jade extended a hand. “Shake on it. If you shake on something, it’s binding. Shake hands with me, and we’ll get ice-cream after lunch. If anyone asks, we had fun at the park today.”

    Katrina stood up, coming to stand in front of her and grip her hand tightly, giving it two jerky pumps. “Deal. Let’s go, I’m hungry.”

    “We have to get _Nai-Nai_ first,” Jade reminded her, standing up. She gave Katrina a good dusting off, then led the way towards the gate.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to HenriaSownbinder and Karategrl80!

    As far as Jade could tell, Katrina kept her word. The pup didn’t utter a peep about what had happened, and if word got out she didn’t hear about it. She even ate all her lunch without prompting. Apparently tantrums really wore a person out.

    At some point during said tantrum, Jade had begun to mull over Meg’s words. Specifically about how she had been willing to give up living in a lap of enslaved luxury for an Alpha who genuinely cared for her. The only difference between Michael and Lucifer, that Jade could tell, was that Michael preferred his Omegas younger. That and he had fewer problems knocking them up. Otherwise, how was her plight that much different from what Meg’s had been?

    Well, that and Cas wasn’t the first-born son of a mega pack. It had sounded easy, walking away from his life and getting them out with him. She didn’t believe she knew everything about the Winchester-Campbell pack, but from what she could tell it was a far healthier arrangement than any of their families enjoyed. Love, respect, loyalty. She couldn’t bring herself to begrudge Dean his luck, though she did envy it. She’d never have it, of that she was sure. But a girl could dream.

    It wasn’t as though anything serious would ever happen anyway. But if she could stay close to him for this last year of normality, close enough to keep the defense that was pack, close enough to enjoy his company, maybe even close enough to be with someone of her own choosing for the one time in her life…that would be enough. It wasn’t asking that much, all she had to do was stay the course.

    So the following week, rather than sit around at the picnic tables, she suggested they take a walk. It was an honest theory combined with a selfish wish, both of which were fulfilled in full. She’d never done something so simple as take a walk with an Alpha, _just_ an Alpha. The air was warm, they were sheltered by the thick trees, and no one else was on the path. As an added bonus, if you could get Dean moving it seemed to be easier for him to recite things. A lot of the basics of math could be broken down into constant formulas or absolutes. If this then that. This equation was the backbone for all variations, no matter how complex. That was a constant, so was its negative.

    On Monday most of their walk consisted of her coaxing Dean into reciting equations he hadn’t even realized he’d memorized, which seemed to please him greatly. But on Wednesday he turned it into a game of twenty questions. It wasn’t that Jade was opposed to this, she just felt…exposed, out on the path. It might not be too crowded on a weekday, but you never knew.

    “Come on,” she said abruptly, grabbing the sleeve of his plaid shirt and tugging him off the path. At least he had good timing.

    “Where’re we going?” he asked, letting himself be pulled through the trees.

    “You’ll see.”

    “I thought you didn’t come out here.”

    “Not often,” she amended. She couldn’t help but delight in the fact that she had a big, brawny Alpha following her along so easily. It made her oddly giddy.

    “I just asked your middle name,” he laughed, only to grunt as a limb smacked into his face.

    “Sorry. And it’s not that simple.”

    “Seriously?”

    “Cultural differences.”

    “Huh.”

    The point Jade was looking for was roughly half a mile off the main path. A wide, shallow river running over rocks worn smooth. It’d get deeper, faster in the spring, when snow as melting, but in early October it was little more than a swift-moving affair that was barely even knee deep for her.

    “It’s wider up here,” Dean mused as they reached the river bank.

    Jade hummed agreement, leading the way upstream. A hundred feet that way was an ancient oak tree, roots half unearthed, aged branches reaching to the heavens. She climbed up towards the trunk, perching on a large root near its base and patting the stretch next to her.

    Dean sat, both of them facing downstream, cradled by the twisting roots. “You come here a lot?”

    “Not as much as I’d like. Especially lately. The older I get the tighter they keep my leash.”

    He was quiet for a moment, then surprised her by saying, “Thanks for showing me this.” His tone was oddly reverent. It made her chest flutter yet again.

    “Li Jing.”

    “Gesundheit,” he deadpanned.

    “I’m serious,” she protested, shoving his shoulder, not that it did anything.

    “Who’s Li Jing?”

    At least he recognized it was a name. Or not. Depending on just how different the language was it could be hard to tell, she knew. “Here, my name is Jade Li Jing Chen. Over there it would be Chen Li Jing.”

    “Last names first?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Cool.”

    She glanced up at him. “Most English speakers tend to find it confusing.”

    Dean shrugged. “You get used to it.”

    Jade arched her eyebrows. “Are there some language capabilities I should know about?”

    “No,” he said hurridly, a trace of panic in his voice for all he followed it with a laugh. “I wouldn’t know how to ask where the bathroom is over there. But last names first is one of those commonalities in Asian cultures. Depending on which style of martial arts you study there’s a lot of overlap.”

    The Omega hummed in understanding. “Which is Hapkido?”

    “South Korean. Went over there for a tournament a few years ago in Seoul, it was pretty awesome.”

    “I thought you were afraid to fly.”

    His admiring expression turned vaguely green in a heartbeat. “I am. Drove to LA instead of taking an extra flight from Omaha to LAX. You wouldn’t believe how much Dramamine and Nyquil it takes to knock out a Shifter.”

    “Are you supposed to mix those?” Jade asked worriedly.

    Dean shrugged. “Didn’t ask. I’m still alive, so I guess so. According to Sammy I slept through some crap turbulence, so I’ve got no regrets. Did the same thing on the way back.”

    “I’m not sure your survival should be considered a stamp of approval.”

    “It’s either that or I’m taking a boat.”

    “That would take a long time.”

    Dean shrugged again, apparently unconcerned. “I’d still get there, and I wouldn’t have to get on a damn death trap to do it.”

    “How long were you over there?”

    “A week. Might as well, right? The tournament was only for two days. Got to see the sights, eat the food, talk to anyone who spoke English. They’ve got a whole museum dedicated to kimchi, which is delicious, by the way.”

    “Isn’t that fermented cabbage?”

    “Yep. Only reason Sammy got me into that one was because there was food. And there’s one that’s basically a giant toilet.”

    “They have a toilet museum?” Jade asked skeptically.

    “Toilets, and everything that goes into them,” Dean confirmed. “It’s just an hour or so out of Seoul. Oh, have you heard of Loveland?”

    “No. Why?”

    Dean grinned. It didn’t seem like his usual friendly grin, or even his cocky grin. This one reminded her of the Cheshire Cat. “It’s this place on an island over there, totally dedicated to sex. It’s this outdoor sculpture park, which is usually boring as hell, but they basically dedicated the whole thing to sex ed. Mom wouldn’t let us go, but you gatta be twenty years old to pass anyhow.”

    Jade had hoped she wouldn’t do her jaw-to-hairline blush that was just as embarrassing as what tended to induce it. She was wrong. It didn’t help that she felt the need to talk, only managing a squeaked, “Oh.”

    The Alpha turned to look at her, as they were still looking downstream, and that grin came back as he saw the state she was in. “What, do they not have that here?”

    “It was, um…they covered the basic mechanics.” Or so she’d heard. Her parents had decided she would be among those to receive a note that they had ‘taught her themselves’. Something that had transpired for about half an hour after she’d had her first period. Her mother had sat her down, explained what the change was and what more was to come, how miserable it all was, then gone right into how sex was a duty and not overly enjoyable.

    “Which mechanics?”

    “The general ones. What goes where. Do we have to talk about this?” She felt like her face was on fire, a kaleidoscope of however many shades of red it was plausible for a human face to be.

    “Not if you don’t want to. But you’ve at least been kissed before, right?”

    She opted not to answer that. It seemed safest. Which she soon realized might be a mistake when he didn’t move on to something else.

    “You’ve never been kissed? Seriously?”

    “I’ve never had occasion.” Not a lie, certainly. Until now there had never been anyone who made her consider it as a good idea, let alone desire it. Between that and her siblings ensuring no one wanted to get that close to her, it had become a nonissue.

    She was grateful Dean didn’t press the issue. Though she was a little worried when he stood up, leaving his binder and textbook on the tree’s base and offering her a hand up. She frowned, but set down her own things before taking the offered hand. It was as warm and big and strong as it had been that first day, lifting her to her feet as she asked, “What’re you doing?”

    “Wanna go for a run?”

    Jade blinked. “Here? Now?”

    “It’s gonna rain later this week, coach probably won’t let us out for one, and it sounds like your wolf doesn’t get out much.”

     “I don’t….I don’t know…..” Even as she said it her wolf was yipping in agreement, darting in excited circles.

    “There’s enough rocks over there we can cross without getting too wet. We’ll steer clear of your family’s turf, how ‘bout that? And it’ll just be you and me, no one to spook her.”

    She guessed he was referring to last time. Jade had been very grateful he hadn’t pressed that particular issue, though no doubt it had been tempting. “I…okay.”

    Dean led the way a little farther up river, to the rocks he’d mentioned. Jade minced her way across them, stopping halfway to laugh when Dean slipped and feel face-first into the water. He glared up at her, cutting her laughter off abruptly, but only smacked some water in her direction as he struggled upright. She hurridly skipped the rest of the way across, waiting for him at a safe distance as he slogged up the opposite bank.

    He shifted mid-stride, his wolf giving himself a good shake. Jade had never seen this shape in her human form before, and couldn’t help but stare. It hadn’t seemed possible that he’d appear even bigger this way, but he did. For a moment she found herself frozen to the spot, staring up at the massive wolf before her, damp fur standing in all directions.

    In the end this damp appearance, coupled with his decision to plop down on his rump and begin scratching an ear with a hind foot, broke whatever regal aura he might have had. Holding back a grin, Jade let her own wolf out to play. Once on four legs, she slunk forward carefully, sniffing intently. Making sure there were no other scent traces, savoring the Alpha’s, keeping a careful eye on him as they got closer.

    Itch tended to, Dean stretched languidly, first with his forelegs stretched out, rear pointed skyward, then the reverse. He gave himself another good shake afterward, then looked towards the Omega who was still six feet away, watching him wearily. Just like before, the tank of an Alpha began acting like an oversized puppy. Yipping excitedly, bounding in tight circles then dropping into a head-down ass-up ‘lets play!’ position, bushy tail waving, ears pricked forward intently.

    Unlike before, the urge to bolt wasn’t nearly so strong. Instead her wolf cocked their head, ears still on the swivel for intruders, but their tail gave the barest of twitches. Dean held his position, crimson eyes intent, tossing his head coaxingly.

    They wavered, then slowly put one paw forward. Then another. Then another.

    The Alpha stood upright, bounding into the trees. Jade gave chase without thought, and soon found herself falling into step at his side. This was something of a shock, to say the least. Just how much was he pulling his stride? It had to be easily twice the length of hers.

    He didn’t tap on her iron-clad wall, the one she’d spent years strengthening to keep any and all telepathic links at bay. He didn’t try to make her play games or interact excessively. They just…ran. Side by side through the forest. It was a simple pleasure neither Jade nor her wolf had ever known. Both reveled in it, delighting in it once they allowed themselves to. Dean was keeping his word, which in itself was a treat. Kept promises were one of those luxuries Jade had never enjoyed very often.

    Eventually they did have to circle back, and Jade felt herself droop. She’d shared the proverbial cockpit through their entire run with her wolf, who hadn’t minded. Sadly, like everything else, it seemed this too had to end.

    They bounded across the river on all fours, managing to stay mostly dry before reverting back to human forms. Dean rolled his shoulders, eyes bright as he turned back towards her. Like before, Jade found herself full of giddy energy, bouncing with each step.

    She blamed that energy when she blurted, “Could we do that again next time?”

    Dean laughed. “Every day it ain’t raining. It’s fun, but the cleanup can be a real bitch.”

    Jade had to concede that point. Not only would it be very difficult to explain to her family, but she had a feeling the wet dog smell would be difficult to get out of his beloved Impala. She’d come to enjoy ridding shotgun in Baby, for all she was always careful to take up as little room as possible and not touch the radio. They talked sometimes, but two times out of three they simply road in contented quiet. Just being there next to him was enjoyable, something she hadn’t thought possible until it registered.

    As predicted, Jade woke up the next morning to rain pounding the roof. It continued this way until the afternoon, though by lunch it had lightened to a drizzle. Jade had managed to talk her parents into allowing rides during bad weather such as this, so there wasn’t much grumbling when Kevin pulled into her driveway to pick her up and drop her off. She had textbooks and whatnot that needed to remain dry, after all, and she could hardly maintain her perfect attendance record if she got stick.

    By Friday it was down to the occasional drizzle and just being generally gloomy. Jade found herself standing under the overhang by a side door after school had let out, staring up at dark gray clouds that had kept the sunlight at bay all day. Everything was still soaking wet, large puddles turning sections of the ground to reflecting glass, the roads dark with leftover rain.

    “It looks like it’ll start again any second.”

    Jade jumped, jerking around to find Dean barely a foot behind her. He was holding up his hands, smiling wryly. “Relax, it’s just me.” Turning his gaze back to the sky he mused, “Not sure we should risk a run today. Wanna just come to my place?”

    She stared at him, unsure if he was serious. “You’re kidding, right?”

    “Nope. Come on, everyone’s either taking up space here or heading home. If anyone’s at the park it’ll be wet. Might as well. I’ll drop you off at Kevin’s after.”

     Jade worried her lip, still not liking it. “I dunno…”

    “Will it help if the door stays open?”

    She hadn’t thought of that. Face heating, she protested, “That wasn’t it.”

    “Then what?”

    The Omega opened her mouth, then closed it again. What _was_ it, anyway? She was already spending a lot of time alone with him. She’s already been to his house. Those two lines had already been deliberately crossed. As long as she left in time, what was there to lose?

    “Alright. Let’s go.”

    If he was thrown by her abrupt change, he didn’t show it. Instead he just beamed, leading the way to the Impala. He was pulling towards the exit when a familiar head of shaggy hair bounced between the few remaining parked cars, moving to intercept. Sam stopped, sticking out his thumb as rain began to mist down over them.

    Dean hit the brakes, frowning as his brother pulled open the back door and scrambled in. “I thought you had drama club or something.”

    “Canceled. Teacher got a cold. Everyone else already left, and I’m not running home in this.” He dumped his bag on the floor, slumping in the backseat as Dean took his foot off the brake. “I thought you were staying late again,” he accused.

    “Change in plans.”

    Jade peeked over as Sam slid more towards the middle, eyeing her. “Are you the one ‘tutoring’ him?”

    A frown crossed her face as he did air quotes around ‘tutoring’. “Yes, but what did that mean?”

    “Gross,” Sam groaned. “Why can’t you just study like a normal person?”

    “Hey, it ain’t like that,” Dean argued, twisting around to glare at him briefly.

    “I don’t understand,” Jade protested quietly, looking between the brothers.

    “You think I don’t know what you do?” Sam challenged. “Just ‘cause you shut your door doesn’t mean the room’s soundproof.”

    “Sammy, shut it,” Dean ground out through clinched teeth.

    “What’s he talking about?” Jade protested, thoroughly confused.

    Sam folded his arms on the seat back, leaning forward to eye her reproachfully. “Are you serious right now?”

     “Yeah, she is, so shut your pie hole,” his brother warned.

    Sam peered at her through narrowed eyes for a moment before they went wide. “Wow. How is it I know more about this than a senor? That’s awesome!”

    “I will dump your ass on the side of this road,” Dean snapped.

    As if to support this point, the light mist turned int an earnest drizzle. Sam pouted, flopping back in his seat, arms still folded. “Whatever,” he grumbled. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence he piped up in a more agreeable tone, “If you’re just doing normal tutoring, can you help me with biology?”

    “She’s busy,” Dean informed him briskly.

    Jade hesitated, then asked carefully, “What are you having trouble with?” Chemistry might not be her favorite, but she’d done better with biology.

    Sam seemed to perk up at that, leaning forward against the seat again. “What do you know about cell structure and function?”

    “A bit. What are you having trouble with specifically?”

    Dean groaned. “Come on, at least wait your turn.”

    Jade couldn’t help but smile at the decidedly pouty expression he was wearing. “I know where you are, and you’re progressing very well. I’d like to see where he stands.”

    “Yeah, let her see where I stand,” Sam chimed in absently as he unzipped his backpack.

    “Should ‘a kicked you out when I had the chance,” Dean grumbled.

    Had he been anyone else, Jade would have been afraid he was serious. But she knew Dean well enough by this point to realize there was no heat behind his grouching. She gave his shoulder, his very broad shoulder, a conciliatory pat before taking the worksheet Sam was passing up.

    They were pulling into the driveway as Dean protested, “You’re only getting a B in biology. I’m bombing calculus.”

    “A very low B,” Sam argued. “I wanna go to Stanford, and my chances are better if my grades are the best.”

    “You change your mind every year. Last year you were all about Cambridge.” Dean threw the Impala into park, cutting her engine. “Before that it was Brown.”

    “I like Stanford’s law school program.”

    “Come back to me when it’s time to fill out applications,” Dean informed him, and opened his door.

    They made a dash for the covered porch, filing inside only a little wet. There didn’t seem to be any sign of John or Mary, and if Adam was still in middle school he wouldn’t be home for another hour or so. The brothers hung up their coats and stepped out of damp shoes, Jade following suit. She trailed them into the kitchen, fumbling to catch the bottle of water tossed to her.

    Despite his protests, Dean didn’t seem to have any issues setting up shop alongside Sam on the family’s kitchen table. Jade wasn’t quite sure when it evolved into a mess of papers, textbooks, water bottles, and various foodstuffs. Even for Shifters they seemed to have insatiable appetites. Between the two of them they put away two bags of chips, a dozen odd ham sandwiches, and two bags of popcorn. She did partake, at their insistence, but Jade was very sure she didn’t eat _that_ much. Then again, Sam was a fourteen-year-old Shifter. Regular teenagers could put away groceries like nobody’s business, but a Shifter teenager? Dean was towards the end of that stage, but he was very active. All that activity needed fuel. It was why she didn’t think much into it when they agreed on the fact she wasn’t eating enough.

    Funny enough, once Jade figured out where Sam was having problems Dean readily abandoned math in favor of helping her help Sam. There was no hesitation, no second guessing, not a single grumble, he just…did it. His brother needed help, so he gave it. Not the first instance Jade had witnessed, and it was something she was getting the sense was a regular occurrence. Yet another stark contrast to her own family.

    When Mary came home with Adam, she and Dean were sitting on either side of Sam, helping him put together mnemonics. If she objected to them taking over her kitchen, she didn’t say as much. When Jade risked a glance up as she timidly gave a polite hello, Mary only smiled and asked if they’d fed her. While this struck Jade as an odd statement, Mary explained that they had a habit of just eating everything in sight without taking others into account. Both her sons protested loudly at this, insisting they hadn’t done such this time, a statement Jade herself backed up.

    Once assured they weren’t mistreating their guest, Mary left them to it.

    Jade hadn’t realized how long she’d been there until she came back and began dinner preparations. She dragged her head out of the biology-based fog she’d been in to check the time, then hurridly began gathering up her things in a near-panic. “I-I’m sorry, I have to go.”

    “What’s wrong?” Mary asked, pausing her work, a worried frown creasing her brow.

    “Nothing, it’s fine, I’m just late. I need to get home.” She left most of the notes she’d written while working with Sam, so he could use them to help study, but everything else was shoved haphazardly into her bag.

    “Sure you don’t want to stay?” Mary asked. “I’m making spaghetti.”

    “I’m sure, thank you.” She yanked her backpack shut, then unthinkingly grabbed Dean, bundling them both towards the front door. It wasn’t until she was sitting in the passenger seat yet again, on the way to Kevin’s, that her behavior hit home.

    “I, um…I’m sorry. For being so abrupt.”

    Dean glanced at her, windshield wipers thumping frantically against the renewed downpour. “What? Oh, don’t worry about it. You’re fine, trust me.”

    “You’re sure?”

    “Yeah, I’m sure. She met your folks, remember? Besides, she likes you.”

    Jade blinked. “She…she does?”

    Dean cracked a smile. “Mom likes you. ‘Means you’ve got the official stamp of approval as far as the pack’s concerned.”

    “Really?”

    “Yep. If you didn’t have to run off like this you wouldn’t have been allowed to leave until she fed you. No one else gets off that easy.”

    “Is her cooking really that bad?”

    Dean made an odd choking sound, but he was still grinning. “No, her cooking ain’t bad. Just…limited. Makes a mean pie, though. And Winchester Surprise. What I mean was, you would have been a very well-fed hostage.”

    “Oh. I see.” Jade pondered this, opting not to ask about the Winchester Surprise, then decided, “I think there are worse fates.”

    For some reason he seemed to find this hilarious.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade was rummaging through her backpack the next day, so she could finish her calculus homework, when she noticed it was missing. She went through her bag twice, then just dumped everything out and searched the battered fabric as if the inch-thick tome was hiding in a pencil pocket. No such luck.

    Finally, fingers trembling, she fished out her phone and called Kevin. It rang through before she remembered he was in the next town for the day, helping his mother with a friend’s wedding. She began to get really worried when she started to remember what else her friends were doing this weekend. Samandriel was out of town visiting family, Tessa was at some great-great-something’s funeral, and Anna was grounded after her parents had finally caught her sneaking in after a late night with Cole. Apparently the issue wasn’t so much about any curfew, it was just that she was doing it without telling them. For Jade, grounded meant no phone, ergo of no help.

    She hadn’t given it out, so she couldn’t call Meg or Charlie. Eventually she came to the very sobering conclusion she’d have to drive herself to the Winchester-Campbell pack’s territory. At least this would be one of those times her parent’s lack of care to anything in regards to her life that didn’t directly benefit them would work in her favor. All she had to tell them was she was going over to Kevin’s to study and they didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary. _Nai-Nai,_ who she had a feeling knew what was going on for all she hadn’t been directly told, was more than willing to ride shotgun as she carefully drove across town.

    There weren’t an excessive number of cars parked out front Dean’s house, which was why she found it confusing there seemed to be a crowd in the backyard. Jade almost turned around there, but _Nai-Nai_ urged her to go on while she waited in the car. She wasn’t sure what to make of the sage smile her grandmother wore, but reluctantly climbed out.

    As she began circling around the house, feeling like a trespasser, she could make out the shouts coming from the excited-looking crowd of Shifters.

    “Elbows in, fists up! Don’t give him an opening!”

    “Keep moving, keep him off kilter!”

    “Take your time! Wait for him to make a mistake!”

    Things settled briefly, long enough for her to hear the all-too familiar smack of a skin-on-skin blow, which was followed by a cheer.

    Heart sinking, Jade hesitated as she wondered if she really wanted to know what was going on. Eventually only somewhat twisted curiosity, and seeing Mary’s familiar face in the crowd, got her moving. She minced closer, skirting around a bit until she found an opening to slip through. Whatever she’d expected to find at the circle’s center, it wasn’t what she saw.

    Dean was barefoot and on his knees in damp grass, bare chested and clad only in a pair of snug exercising shorts. His hands were raised in a fighting stance, eyes intent on his opponent, shifting constantly to match her circling motions. In front of him, knees bent, arms raised in the suggested ‘elbows in fists up’ position, was Claire. Her blond hair was pulled back in a single braid, wisps framing a face scrunched in concentration.

    As Jade stared, torn between shock and bafflement, Dean’s left hand flashed out, fingers tickling under her ribs the moment she left herself exposed. Claire gave a shriek of laugher, body contorting before she could dance out of range. Immediately after she resumed her stance, glowering at her opponent, who’s face remained equally serious. From the look of it he’d been at the end of his own workout, between his attire and the sheen of sweat covering him from head to toe.

    In apparent retribution, Claire’s own left hand swung forward as she feinted a right punch, the blow grazing Dean’s side even as he leaned away. His face twisted in a grimace as he growled at the blow. Another cheer came up from the crowd.

    “You almost had him!” Mary shouted, clapping.

    “Keep moving, keep him off balance,” Meg called from her side.

    “Don’t get too predictable,” Benny warned.

    A stricken look crossed Dean’s face. “Listen to them,” he wailed, sounding anguished. “Abandoned by my own pack! Left to defend myself against someone so merciless! You call yourselves wolves?”

    As if to prove his point, Claire darted in with a right hook directly under his jaw strong enough Jade heard teeth clack, following it up with a roundhouse kick to his ribs. Dean didn’t respond for a moment, face stunned, then he slowly fell to the grass, eyes dazed. The crowd went wild as Claire threw both fists high in the air in victory.

    Jade applauded right along with them, unaware she was smiling until she felt it pulling at her cheeks.

    Claire turned in a circle, absorbing the adoration of her audience before crouching next to Dean’s head. Jade saw her lips move, brow furrowed in genuine worry. The Alpha blinked rapidly, dragging himself into an upright position. He got to his feet from there, dusted himself off, and offered his opponent a formal bow. Claire returned the gesture, the crowd around them starting to disperse.

    “See? I told you I was getting better. Do I _have_ to wait two more years before I can start taking classes?”

    “That’s the age limit at the dojo,” Meg said, her tone making it plain this wasn’t the first time she’d had to say it. “You’re just going to have to wait.”

    The pup pouted. “What am I supposed to do until then?”

    Cas bent, picking her up and hoisting her over his head to plop her onto his shoulders, making her shriek in glee. “You’re just going to have to keep beating up your Uncle Dean until then.”

    “Hey!”

    “It was a solid defeat,” Cas reminded him, straight faced. “Take it in stride.”

    Dean made a face, turning back towards the house only to freeze, eyes widening a little. It occurred to Jade then she was one of the only ones left that wasn’t his family. She no longer had the camouflage of a crowd.

    “Hey, what’re you doing here?” He didn’t sound upset, just surprised. That was good, right? Technically, unless she was given a direct all-clear, preferably in writing, she shouldn’t be on the territory of a pack they had such a shaky truce with.

    “Sorry, I, um…I forgot my….”

    “Oh yeah, right. It’s in the kitchen. Didn’t notice until I came back, and we didn’t have your number. How’d you get here, anyway?” he asked absently, leading the way inside.

    _“Nai-Nai_ ’s in the car.”

    Adam, who was currently sitting on their counter and stuffing his face with beef jerky, asked, “What’s a Nai-Nai?”

    “It means grandmother,” Jade supplied quietly, hovering near the doorway.

    “We just call ours Grandma.”

    “Because we speak English, _Nai-Nai_ ain’t English,” Dean informed him, taking the textbook off a side table full of random paper and about four loaves of bread.

    “What’s that, then?”

    “Chinese.”

    The look Adam gave her could only be called awe. He even stopped chewing. “You speak Chinese?”

    Jade accepted the book, holding it tight, unsure what she could say to that. Technically Mandarin was the accurate term, but she was willing to let the discrepancy slide if it met less talking on her part. “Um, yes.”

    “Is your family from there?”

    “Yes.”

    “Can you say something in Chinese?”

    Again she wasn’t sure what to do with that. Though unlike before, when kids had teased her in elementary school, there wasn’t any malice in Adam’s question. It wasn’t even a demand, it was a request.

    She considered it, suddenly at a loss for anything whatsoever to say. The Omega eventually settled on, _“I can’t stay long, my grandmother’s waiting in the car.”_

    For a moment the brothers stared at her. It was Dean who said, “I got nothing.”

    “Me neither,” Adam agreed. “What’d you say?”

    “I can’t stay long, my grandmother’s waiting in the car.”

    “Oh. So uh, see you Monday?” Dean asked casually, taking a bottle of water from the fridge.

    “Yes. Thank you, again.” She ducked back out the back door even as she said it, trotting back around the house to the car, sliding behind the wheel.

 _“How did it go?” Nai-Nai_ asked once her door was slammed shut.

    _“Good. I got my book. Do you need anything else while we’re out?”_

_“No, we can go home. Though I would like you to tell me what’s going on between you and Dean.”_

    Jade stiffened. _“What are you talking about?”_

 _“I’m old, not blind,” Nai-Nai_ chided. _“I don’t think I need to remind you that I’m not your parents, nor will I tell them. But I would like to know what’s going on. You’ve never been worried about that before.”_

 _“No, no it’s not that, it’s just…”_ Jade’s emphatic protest trialed off. _“Plausible deniability.”_

    The look _Nai-Nai_ gave her made her grimace.

    _“Right. Sorry. It’s complicated.”_

_“You drive slow.”_

    It was Jade’s turn to administer a certain look.

_“You do, and it’s safe. Now, about your new friend?”_

    Slowly but surely, if haltingly, Jade found herself explaining what had been happening. Short of her very close friends there was no one else she’d tell about such things, barring any extreme duress. It was something she’d come to truly value over the years, having a lone, solitary family member who cared. Who’d listen. Who’d help her. It might not be much, but that she tried meant the world to her.

    They were most of the way home when she was done. At first _Nai-Nai_ didn’t say anything. When she did, it wasn’t what Jade was expecting.

_“I’m proud of you.”_

_“You are?”_

_“Of course. I’m afraid I wasn’t like you. There was no one else when I was mated off to your grandfather. Anything else wasn’t an option, it was never presented and I never thought of it. He wasn’t bad at first, but the longer things went on the worse he got. By the time we had your father the abuse had begun. My children are my children, for better or worse. But my mate…you know how when there’s a strong bond, it can be crippling when one passes?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“What I tell you, never leaves this vehicle.”_

_“Of course.”_

_“Antifreeze. A few drops in his morning tea every day until it became too much.”_

    Jade gaped at her, unmoving at an otherwise empty four-way stop sign. _“Nai-Nai_ , _you…”_

 _“I couldn’t bear it anymore,”_ she sighed, suddenly looking very much like her seventy-nine years. _“It wasn’t stopping. I decided I’d had enough, regardless of the consequences. I was fortunate, since the bond was one-sided there wasn’t much fallout on my part. It was bad enough I had to watch your father bring someone else into this cycle. If at all possible I would rather you not endure the same. It seems you’re not jumping into this blindly, and I did meet with his parents. They are good people. I would prefer to meet him myself, but from what you have told me he seems like a good young man.”_

    _“He is,”_ Jade agreed quietly, finally pulling forward. _“He’s…he’s not…”_

 _“He’s nothing like Morningstar,” Nai-Nia_ finished.

_“No. He’s not. Yin and Yang.”_

_“No, he is Yang, you are Yin,”_ she scolded.

_“Right. Sorry.”_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80, HenriaSownbinder, and Ranger84949!

    The following week was similar to its predecessor, if with less rain. They went out to the river three times that week, but spent precious little of it actually studying. Well, they did on Friday because there was a quiz pending, but that was it. Most of the rest of the time they spent walking trails or running on all fours. Nicer weather did follow the rain, but unfortunately this meant more people were willing to come out to the park. On Wednesday they got there as a Boy Scout van was unloading. Dean didn’t bother parking, just pulled back out onto the road and drove them to his place again.

    This was met with more welcome than Jade had anticipated. She knew she’d been accepted into Dean’s inner circle at school, but she hadn’t realized it’d gone far beyond that. Sam was on them before they made it far inside, insisting she’d helped a lot and he wanted her help on the next section. Dean had started arguing over this point when Adam joined the commotion, holding a pen and paper and staring at her with big blue eyes as he asked her if she could write his name in Chinese. He looked so hopeful, and he even said ‘please’. How could she refuse?

    Ignoring the bickering brothers, she sat down with Adam at the kitchen table and began writing out his name. Phonetic translations, done from each sound, was easiest in this case. She had Adam’s rapt attention as she wrote out the characters, showing him the result.

    “Cool. What’s your name look like?”

    Jade wrote out her own name, cracking a smile when Dean and Sam came to stare at her work intently.

    “What about mine?” they asked in unison, then glared at each other.

    She was writing out ‘banana’ and ‘pie’ when Mary came in. Their mother did seem interested in what they were doing, but gently reminded them she hadn’t come over here to write out Chinese for them. She then proceeded to make a small mountain of sandwiches, which was devoured between the four of them.

    Again Jade spent more time on Sam’s work than Dean’s. At this point tutoring was just an excuse and they both seemed to know it, for all they never spoke of it. Dean was more or less up to speed, and they did practice things to keep him that way, but she never had to spend more than an hour a week on new material, leaving lots of time to talk and run with the Alpha.

    Jade kept a closer eye on the clock this time, so it wasn’t a mad scramble for the door. Something made easier when John came home midway through their study session. This was surprise enough, but he did it while Jade was berating Dean for making odd sounds for the sole purpose of distracting Sam while he worked through some practice questions. This might not have been too terrible in itself, but Jade handled it the way she’d wanted to handle similar irritations for years but never had the will to do so.

    It was just her luck that the elder Alpha stepped into his kitchen as Jade was glaring at Dean, whacking him over the head with a textbook while firmly informing him, “Either be constructive or go somewhere else! You’re not being helpful if you behave like a….” She trailed off, feeling the color drain from her face as she stared up at John. The brothers followed her gaze, apparently a bit less worried by his arrival.

    “Hey, Dad,” Sam said absently, turning back to his work.

    John raised his eyebrows as Jade quickly dropped her gaze, trying to be respectful in hopes there might be something to salvage.

    “Finally found someone to call you on your shit, son?”

    “Yep.” Dean didn’t sound at all chastised. If anything he sounded proud.

    “Good. Nice to see you again, Jade.”

    The Omega wasn’t sure what surprised her more. That he remembered her name or that he was being so polite. She tried to say something along the lines of “you as well, sir”, but the words got stuck in her throat. All that came out was a strangled squeak that made the brothers look at her funny. Naturally her pallor quickly became flames.

    “You got red fast.”

    Dean wacked his brother’s shoulder, expression disapproving. “Leave her alone. It’s one of her assets. Do your stuff.”

    Sam rolled his eyes, turning back to the paper. Jade was very sure her blush was getting worse. Assets? Blushing at the drop of a hat was an _asset?_ It was humiliating! How could anyone possibly consider it an asset? The notion was so off-putting she almost missed his first sentence. Jade didn’t think she’d ever heard him verbally defend her before, even if it was against something so small. A fluttery sensation that had been making regular appearances these days returned to her belly.

    Days passed, turning into weeks, and a pattern emerged. Jade kept an appropriate distance from Dean during school hours, only spending as much time in his company as could be excused. When they shared classes, particularly chemistry, it couldn’t be helped. They sat at the same lunch table because they had the same friends. She did start spending more time with Meg and Charlie, and by November considered them to be part of her still closely-knit circle of friends. She did hang around Andrea, Garth, Cas, and Benny, but less often and usually by proxy. _Nai-Nai_ had apparently found a bridge group as well, one that met every Sunday. It gave Jade the perfect excuse to get out of the house for half a day. Each time she would take _Nai-Nai_ to the community center and someone would come by to pick her up. Usually Meg, Charlie, or Tessa. It was a delight, being able to spend time with her friends more freely, without having to worry about word getting back. They couldn’t do anything public, but they worked on homework, watched movies, played games, talked, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Depending on the day they even went for a run.

    Dean was there sometimes, other times he wasn’t. Most of her Dean time came during the week. Between her extracurriculars, his boxing team, not to mention training and whatever prep John was putting him through as the next Pack Alpha, meetings had to be planned ahead. This turned out to be three days a week where they could get the most out of it. On Mondays and Wednesdays they would spend two hours either at the park or on the school roof, depending on the weather. On Fridays, when their window was a little bigger, Dean would often just take her to his home. He’d taken to bundling her up to his room in an effort to keep rouge siblings at bay. While the door did remain open, according to his original promise, he seemed to prefer having her to himself. It didn’t always work, if Sam or Adam decided they really wanted her for something they’d barge in and demand her attention. It had taken getting used to, having Dean’s two younger brothers eager for her attention, have them smile when they saw her and seem happy she’d let herself be brought back into their domain. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been quite so daunting, but Sam was already half a foot taller than her, and Adam had at least an inch on her. Never mind the fact they were both broader than she was, and no doubt outweighed her by gods knew how much muscle. But like their brother, for all their rambunctiousness they were never malicious, not towards her anyway. She’d once seen the three of them grapple through the living room and kitchen over the last slice of cold pizza, somehow only damaging one piece of furniture. Mary explained she’d had to favor function and durability over style, before giving the cold pizza to Jade and scolding them for throwing down in the middle of her house. Adam had come running down the hall once as they were leaving, turning a corner and bowling right over Jade, nearly sending her tumbling down the stairs. For the second time she was saved from a fall by Dean’s quick reflexes, he managed to grab her by her belt and yank her back up onto the landing. He then charged after his brother, who had the common sense to flee even as he shouted, “Sorry Jade!” When he’d slunk back later he did seem chagrined, though she had a feeling he would have stuck around for his apology if Dean hadn’t gone after him with a growl in his throat. Once assured he was forgiven Adam visibly relaxed, getting more relief out of knowing he hadn’t fallen out of her good graces than she’d thought possible.

    Jade was aware she’d been accepted by the Winchester-Campbell pack as a whole, even by John. She didn’t see him as much as Mary, but whenever she did he addressed her directly and didn’t seem to harbor any ire towards her, despite the tenuous truce her pack had with him. Mary didn’t hover much when she was there, but she did make sure she was well fed, and on several occasions Jade found herself actually chatting with the elder Omega.

    An additional, very surprising turn of events came shortly after Jade saw the pseudo sparring session in their backyard. One day when they were at the old oak Dean set aside the books and informed her that he wanted to teach her how to defend herself. So at the very least she’d have it as an option, or so he said. Jade sincerely doubted there would ever be a time for her to use much of what he taught her, but she did appreciate the effort, really. Not Hapkido, though. According to him most of the techniques she was being taught were Judo, which she hadn’t known had been in his repertoire to begin with. Dean had eventually, in a roundabout fashion, indicated he’d picked it up when he’d sat in on lessons Mary and a few other family members had decided to take. Apparently he’d been used as an instructional dummy for much of that time period, which he’d made use out of. While he did teach her several offensive techniques, his primary focus was on deflecting and redirecting her opponent’s energy. It had hardly been a surprise when he’d bluntly stated that relying on being able to overpower an opponent was a strategy for failure, though it had been surprising when he’d followed it with that being the case regardless, but it was even more true for her. Accordingly, she would have to deflect whatever force was aimed at her or find a way to turn that force back on her attacker. He was as relentless in this field as she was in calculus, which while irritating at times Jade couldn’t help but appreciate.

    She wasn’t sure when it happened, nor was it a big revelation. Jade had never liked going home, that much wasn’t new. Eager to leave and reluctant to return. The only reason she was in a hurry was because she knew the consequences were rarely worth a little extra time away from her family. But at some point she noticed she was no longer uneasy when going to Dean’s house. Shortly after she realized she felt more at ease coming back to it than she ever had her own home. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving, when Garth brightly asked the long-term locals of their group if they’d be spending the holiday with their families, that it really hit her. The first thing to pop into her mind wasn’t her own family, who celebrated by making her put together an extensive meal that was a combination of American classics and traditional Chinese. Instead she saw the dining room table at Dean’s house, Sam and Adam fighting over one turkey leg as Dean gnawed on another, John giving his brood a reproachful look as Mary nudged a glass away from its precarious position near Sam’s elbow. The table before them heaped with two big turkey’s, stuffing, cranberry dressing, and numerous other classics.

    Sometime before or after that, she wasn’t really sure, Jade became aware of the fact that her first thought was not to tell _Nai-Nai_ when good news arose. It wasn’t often, granted, but it did happen. A test grade good enough to nudge her overall grade higher into A territory, finally getting a recalcitrant song right in band, earning her mathletes team another win. When she felt that surge of victorious satisfaction, she didn’t start making plans on how to tell her grandmother without anyone eavesdropping. Instead she was itching for the school day to end so she could tell Dean. It was small, but then it was one of many small things. She wasn’t entirely sure what most of them meant. What she did understand was that she felt more at home around Dean’s family than she ever had around her own, like she belonged there. Like she was accepted. If she didn’t know any better, it was more than she’d ever felt at the Tran’s, which felt a little like betrayal. Ms. Tran had been more a maternal figure than her own mother, Kevin more a brother than her biological siblings, familial support her own family had deprived her of.

    What she felt for Dean wasn’t platonic, of that she was very sure. But if she was honest with herself, Jade was avoiding thinking about it too much. Just trying to enjoy whatever she had while it lasted.

    They were getting close to Christmas break when Jade had a very odd dream. She didn’t dream often, but when she did they were often nightmares. Running desperately from a pack with bloodlust in their eyes, set to kill her for real this time, hiding from monsters with her parent’s voices coming to devour her, trying in vain to escape brothers and sisters coming to skin her alive, those sorts of things. Regardless, she always woke up in cold sweat.

    This time Jade found herself sitting in the recliner in the Winchester-Campbell’s living room, legs tucked up in the cozy space, a book in her hands. The words ran together, making no sense, but she felt oddly at peace. She was looking around the space, confused to find a larger version of Sam and Adam on the couch playing a video game, when the front door opened and closed. A moment later Dean wandered in, wearing his standard ratty jeans and flannel shirt.

    Jade tilted her head up towards him, smiling as he came over, bracing his forearms against the recliner’s back. “How’d it go?”

    “Good.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead. Then he leaned down a little more, doing the same thing to her lips. His were surprisingly warm and, even better, just as soft as they looked.

    “Aw come on! Really?” Sam protested.

    “Gross,” Adam groaned.

    One of them, she wasn’t sure which, threw a pillow at them. Dean caught it, pulling away to hurl it back at them. Jade smiled indulgently as they bickered, perfectly content and not at all offended. Though she was considering trying to extract the elder Alpha from their group when Mary’s voice came from the kitchen.

    “Dinner!”

    In a heartbeat the brothers abandoned their squabble, dashing for the dining room. Jade had unfolded her legs and was about to stand when Dean swept her up bridle style. She squeaked, grabbing onto his shoulders, but only blushed rather than protest as she was carried to the next room and gently deposited on a chair. She was scooting it forward as they brought in platters full of food, only to go still when she noticed a glint of metal on Dean’s left hand. Her breath caught when she realized it was a gold wedding band.

    Almost afraid to look, she peeked down at her own left hand. Her heart simultaneously went tight and fluttered out of her chest when she saw an identical ring on her own hand. She ran a thumb over it, awed. She was married? To Dean? When had that…you know what? She didn’t care when it had happened, she was just delighted it had. Very, very delighted.

    Once everyone was seated they dug into platters of steak and baked potatoes and…pot stickers? Mary never made Asian food. What she did make was often simple and difficult to mess up, from what Jade had seen.

    “Try them,” Mary was saying, giving her a warm smile as she sat across from her mate. “I think I finally got your recipe right.”

    They looked a little too perfect for them to be a beginner’s work, but Jade put a few on her plate anyway. No one else seemed to give the odd addition a second thought, dumping them onto their plates along with steaks and whole potatoes. Jade studied one, then took a careful bite.

    Instantly a wonderful, familiar taste filled her mouth. Since she was in charge of cooking anyway, Jade had sometimes risked experiments at home. This one was her own personal concoction, pot stickers filled with finely chopped cabbage, ginger, shredded habanero, extra chili oil, and a hearty dash of cayenne pepper. It tasted exactly the way she made it, too. Mary had done her recipe proud.

    Jade stuffed her face with the rest of them, eating her fill like she almost never got to at home. There was even dessert, which was brought out way faster than she would have thought possible. Hot fudge sundae’s all around. Jade had only had then a few times, when _Nai-Nai_ had taken her out on her birthday. Her siblings always got big parties and lots of presents. If Jade was lucky she might get spared a beating in honor of the occasion, nothing more.

    Considering how much she’d eaten the Omega didn’t feel at all overstuffed when she helped Mary carry ice cream dishes, all but licked clean, into the kitchen. She was about to help with the dishes when she was yet again swept up by Dean, who planted a firm kiss right on her mouth as he carried her away. Jade was too busy enjoying it to even feel embarrassed, even as Mary called after them, “I want grandchildren!”

    Either no one noticed them or no one bothered to stop them as Dean carried her up the stairs to his room, kicking the door shut. By now Jade had both arms wrapped around his neck, enjoying the oddly simple act of pressing their mouths together. She was sure it was more intricate than that, for all she didn’t know how. She’d caught a glimpse of more than one couple in corners or under stairwells over the years, and she’d seen it in shows and movies she’d watched with her friends. More recently, on Netflix they sometimes watched on Dean’s computer. But surely with a reputation such as his Dean knew what he was doing, right?

    Jade was banking on this, though she was glad the lights hadn’t been turned on. Most of the shows she’d seen where this sort of thing happened had indicated this was the norm, but…even if she was supposedly mated to him the idea of being naked in front of him still made her uncomfortable. From what her mother had told her nudity was an ugly thing, to be avoided at all cost. The only person who should see you in such a state should be your mate, and even then it wasn’t something they enjoyed seeing. The shadows, for all they were a comfort, confirmed this.

    The Alpha plopped her down on the edge of his turned down bed, which was interesting to her. Every time she’d seen it before it was made. Soft sheets met the hand she put down to brace herself, a light gasp in her throat as the Alpha tilted his head, kissing the base of her neck, her scent glands. When he withdrew she heard cloth rustle, and when she reached out blindly her hand met hot, bare skin.

    Hurridly she yanked her shirt over her head, tossing it away and undoing her jeans, shoving them down her legs along with her panties. The sheets felt almost like silk against her bare skin, undoing her bra as denim rustled in front of her. She’d no sooner tossed it aside than hot hands gripped her waist, lifting her and moving her to the bed’s center. The Omega hurridly laid down, slipping her legs under the sheets as Dean joined her, laying down next to her. A moment later he was crawling on top of her, fingers tangling in her hair as he kissed her again. She shivered as plains of warm, almost hot skin and taunt muscle covered her, timidly pressing a hand against his chest.

    Jade gasped as he returned the favor, the hand that had been in her hair moving to lay over her left breast. Heat shot straight from her skin to her groin, which was starting to heat. Was that normal, feeling hot down there? It was simultaneously uncomfortable and yet…not.

    His hand gave a light squeeze, inducing a half squeak half moan from the Omega. It was followed by a hitching sigh as Dean nuzzled her scent glands, hips moving. She could feel him, hard and hot against her inner thigh, soft flesh brushing against her. While she knew what a penis was, what it looked like, it seemed far too big to fit. He was so much bigger than she was overall, and if the rumors exchanged in giggles in the girl’s locker rooms were to be believed this was preferably proportional. Jade had heard it both ways, bigger wasn’t always better, bigger was _definitely_ better, but if that particular organ was to go inside her she’d thought something a bit more manageable would be preferable. The Omega hadn’t been able to bring herself to ask Anna or Tessa, both of whom had laid with males before. It was too embarrassing. But wouldn’t size just make an already unpleasant process worse?

    For what it was worth, this didn’t feel bad. She liked having Dean on top of her, body rocking in gentle motions, mouth pressing tenderly against hers. The first time his cock brushed against her slit a jolt of hot pleasure shot right up her spine. At the sound of her gasp the Alpha hummed, the sound pleased. Then to her dismay his hand left her breast, leaving it open to a chill as he sat back, the sheets sliding back as he slid his hands between her thighs, which were still mostly closed. He pushed them apart, movements slow, touch gentle, then knelt between them and laid back over her, the sheets draped back over them. This time he cupped her breast, thumb stroking her nipple, which felt even better. His cock brushed her slit again, which was pulled open slightly by her parted legs. Again, this felt even better.

    “Dean.” His name came out a whimper, her arms clutching his shoulders as he began his rocking motions again. A cool nose brushed her ear, lips pressing to her scent glands, his free hand going back and forth between her breasts, cupping, stroking, rubbing.

    Wasn’t he supposed to go inside her? This felt far more pleasant than she’d anticipated, sparks of heat and more of that uncomfortable-but-not sensation churning at every touch to her nipples and labia. Would that go away if he went inside her? Would it hurt then? Maybe so. Maybe this was his way of being kind to her. He was always kind. Better still, she wouldn’t have pups if he didn’t go inside her. She’d have to eventually, if she was his mate, but not yet.

    “Jade,” the Alpha murmured in her ear, body still rocking over her own. “Jade. Where’re you going? Jade? Jade?”

    The Omega gasped, eyes flying open, staring wildly up at her ceiling. The first thing to hit her was dismay, bitter and cold. Why had she woken up? With each repetition of her name she’d felt herself slipping. Why?

    Jade was twisting to look at her the glowing numbers of her battered, secondhand clock when it hit her where her hands were. Digital numbers read 5:39, she didn’t have to be up yet. It was just as well, she had something more pressing to deal with.

    She wasn’t sure what worried her more, that she’d had a wet dream or that she was touching herself. Wang Li had been very clear, only hormone-driven whores touched themselves. That was for their Alpha to do or no one at all. But…it felt good.

   Swallowing thickly, staring up at her ceiling, Jade took stock of just what her hands were doing. Her right was grasping her own right breast under the worn shirt she wore to bed, her left in her panties and cupping herself. She hesitated, then timidly stroked her own nipple. A pleasant sensation identical to that in her dream was the result. She repeated this process down below, and got a similar discovery. Oh gods, it was official. First lusting over a particular Alpha’s body now this. She was a pervert. It would be a hunt for sure if her mother ever found out. So far they’d only done it once since Morningstar had visited, when she’d taken too long coming home one Friday. Apparently they were worried about rumors if anyone so much as considered the idea she was spending time with the Winchester-Campbell pack, so it had been something of a preventative punishment to hear them tell it. She was glad they’d done it on Friday, so she didn’t have to go to school the next day with a half-healed leg.

    It was early yet, Sherman wasn’t due to wake her for nearly an hour. As long as she was quiet no one would know, right? Biting her lip, she began stroking with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut. She shouldn’t be doing this, but it felt good. More akin to what Meg and Anna had described to her than her mother’s representation. Was this why Anna enjoyed sex so much? It felt like this? Was this why Meg seemed to like having a mate who had an apparent addiction to her?

    Unbidden, as she tentatively stroked a little deeper, Dean’s face flashed under her lids. Her face burned hotter, for all she enjoyed this. She didn’t want just anyone to do this to her, she wanted _Dean._ Wanted _him_ to be the one touching her, kissing her, lying with her.

    It hit her then, like a bolt of lighting, and her hands froze. Did she…love him? She didn’t have any reference, she’d never loved someone before, not like this. Was this what it felt like? Looking forward to spending time with them, reluctant to leave their company, feeling happy and content and safe when she sat next to him? Yes alright he wasn’t without faults, but neither was she. He could be childish sometimes, annoying, something of a smartass, but she didn’t mind. It hardly outweighed all the reasons she cared for him. He was kind and gentle and selfless and compassionate and loyal, a good leader, a good brother, a good son, a good friend. They could talk for hours or sit in silence for the same time frame, content in each other’s presence. She didn’t fear him, had never seen anything that would lead her to believe he would be abusive, and she’d had plenty of practice picking up on the signs. None of them were there. Jade had only ever seen him attack a female once, but it had hardly counted. It seemed Dean didn’t believe in pulling punches regardless of a person’s status, breed, or gender if they decided to pick a fight or target his pack. Hester, one of the lone female Alphas in the area, had taken issue with him taking up so much attention. She’d attacked him in public and he’d responded accordingly. Hester’s mate had taken offense, and ignored Dean’s warning to take his Alpha and leave. Someone had had to cart them both to the hospital to have bones rebroken and set. Jade had only pitied them for their foolishness.

    Abruptly Jade threw off her covers, swinging her leg’s over the bed’s edge. An odd, musky scent reached her nose, and she frowned. She squinted down at her fingers in what little shadowed light made it through her window, and was dismayed to find the fingers of the hand that had been down her pants were damp. Her initial panicked thought was that she’d somehow wet the bed and not noticed, but when she checked it was fine. The Omega timidly sniffed her fingers, frowning. It didn’t smell like urine, now that she thought about it, and it wasn’t exactly a liquid. It was slippery, reminding her more of slime than of fluid. Not blood, either, for all it wasn’t the right time of month for that.

    Uneasily, she hurried to the nearest bathroom and locked the door, squinting as she turned on the light and peered at her fingers. It was clear too, whatever this was. Was she sick? Was something wrong? They only took her to the doctor if it was bad, and aside from that same uncomfortable-but-not feeling she’d had even outside her dream she felt fine.

    She scrubbed her hands in the sink, then examined the source. Again, nothing appeared to be wrong. She was a little more sensitive than usual, tender, but that was to be expected considering what she’d been doing. Jade considered asking _Nai-Nai_ , then discarded the idea. Wang Li had banned asking her about anything body related, the one time she’d tried they’d both been banned from eating for three days. She’d have to ask Anna, then. Or Meg. Or Charlie. She would ask Kevin, perhaps Samandriel, but she wasn’t entirely sure they’d have the same parts for this issue. If it was an Omega thing they would, but she didn’t know for sure.

    Jade felt too wired to go back to bed, so she started her morning routine early. Sherman scowled at her when he came in, going out of his way to shoulder roughly passed her since he was robbed of her usual rocky wakeup. The Omega decided to take advantage of her extra time and made rice porridge for breakfast, a favorite but one even her parents admitted took too long for her to do regularly. When it wasn’t instant, anyway, which was gruel for those who’d grown up with the real thing.

    She’d fully intended to talk to one of her friends before school, but by the time she’d got there she’d managed to work herself up into a frenzy. Why did she _have_ to love Dean? Why not someone more attainable, someone who couldn’t have anyone? Someone who hadn’t had practically everyone? She could hide it, right? So they could still be friends? His wolf was very friendly, in a normal wolf its behavior would have been called flirting. But that was just instinct, she was sure of it. He was friendly with everyone else like that, unless the situation demanded otherwise. She’d once seen him try and fail to pick Sammy up by his scruff, which apparently hadn’t been possible for years. Dean was playful, and he was a wolf, a very social creature. She was greedy for wanting more. Unfortunately it seemed wishing for emotions to change wasn’t possible. She’d just have to keep it quiet and pray he didn’t notice. Just spending time with him had been one of her brightest beacons of hope in a doomed future. Wishing for more, for something that was impossible anyway, was asking for too much. Paradoxically, the idea of keeping her mouth shut and suffering in silence made her chest ache. If you could feel your heart breaking then it had to be love, didn’t it?

    Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Jade hurried into school and began looking for the first female friend she could find. This turned out to be Charlie, which was a relief. The female Beta was just as sexually progressive as Anna and Meg, for all she hadn’t settled down yet. Jade had gotten no small degree of amusement in learning Dean’s sister-he-never-asked-for and the Alpha himself had similar taste in women. Though as of last week Charlie had been going steady with one Gilda Fay, a willowy fox Shifter who was smitten with the wolf.

    Thankfully Charlie was not with her girlfriend when Jade found her, so she didn’t feel too guilty about asking her if they could talk somewhere private. Charlie just smiled and chirped, “Sure!”, then waited until they were alone in the never-functioning third floor girl’s bathroom to ask, “What’s up?” Despite the fact she was genuinely concerned she may or may not be dealing with a serious medical issue, Jade found it difficult to get the words out.

    Eventually, face no doubt ten shades of red, Jade managed to get out, “There might be a problem…I think it mi-might be a problem but I-I don’t know for sure.”

    A worried look crossed Charlie’s face at that, the Beta going very serious.

    “What kind of problem?”

    “A…A bio-biological one. With me.”

    The Beta looked her up and down, as if searching for said issue. “Can you be more specific?”

    Jade gulped, voice getting even quieter as she squeaked out, “It-It’s stopped now but…there-there was, it wasn’t fluid but it was wet and weird and….”

    “Wait, where on you was this?” Charlie asked, pale brows raising. Maybe it was false hope, but Jade thought she saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

    Too embarrassed to say, she pointed. Then to her dismay, Charlie began to laugh. “What? What’s wrong? Do you know what it is?”

    “Are you serious?” Charlie giggled, eyes twinkling. “You’ve never gotten wet before?”

    “It’s a thing? It’s not something bad?”

    Charlie took a moment, laughing a little more before straightening up and making an obvious effort to be serious. “Sorry, just never thought someone my age would ask that. Yeah, it’s normal, and it’s not bad. It’s really, really good.”

    Jade blinked, nonplussed. “It is?”

    “Oh yeah, very.”

    “What does it mean?”

    “Were you turned on when this happened?”

    “Turned on?”

    Something that looked very much like pity flickered in her eyes. “Aroused. Hot and bothered down below? Horny?”

    “The-the, um, mid-middle one,” Jade mumbled shyly. “I think.”

    Charlie smiled patiently. “When a person is turned on, there’s some bodily responses. For us ladies, that includes getting wet. It’s why prudes are so anal about the word ‘moist’. It’s good, it’s not toxic or anything, it’s not pee, it’s a response to arousal.”

    “But why?”

    “Have you heard of lube?”

    “For cars?”

    “Yeah, but lubricant is also a thing in the bedroom. It…makes things easier, trust me, whether you’re into dudes or chicks. In your case, it means things will go smoother. Female Betas, and all Omegas, self-lubricate. It’s a perfectly normal, healthy response to being turned on. You’re fine, trust me.” Leaning in conspiratorially, shit-eating grin in place, Charlie added, “And the scent drives ‘em wild. Just saying.”

    Jade could _feel_ the steam coming out of her ears. “People can smell it?”

    “Humans, especially Beta humans, not really, but the Shifter nose knows. But usually only in close courters, I wouldn’t worry.”

    “And Alphas like it?”

    “Love it,” Charlie confirmed with a nod.

    “Oh.”

    “Dare I ask who made you this way?”

    The Omega must have gone through as many color-changes as she thought, because Charlie held up her hands in surrender.

    “Alright, you don’t have to tell me. But if it goes somewhere I want names. If things go south I’d like to be one of the first to kick their ass.”

    That was easier to agree to, so she nodded.

    “Great. Any other things you need me to clear up?”

    She hated to ask, but while they were at it she might as well. “Are there any other… _symptoms?”_

    Jade had to hand it to her, Charlie was a very thorough, detail-oriented teacher. She felt like slinking under a rock when she was done, but at least Jade had a far better grasp of what should and shouldn’t happen in the bodily reaction department. For every breed and gender, at that. And at least all those ‘blood going to the wrong place’ or ‘thinking with the wrong head’ jokes finally made sense.

    That synched it. Not only was she in love with Dean Winchester, but her body had decided to start craving him. Wonderful. Exactly what she needed. Damn biology, damn instincts, damn everything.

    Jade had intended to simply try burying it all. But the harder she tried to not think about it, the more it was all she _could_ think about. As she drifted from class to class in something of a daze, trying to appear as normal as possible, the Omega found herself swinging from dull weariness to wrenching heartbreak. It was a waste of time and emotion, don’t get your hopes up. Enjoy what you have while you have it. But he’d slept with plenty of people, that much had been confirmed. He’d slowed down since moving to Lawrence, in fact Jade couldn’t remember a single person since Anna, but then he had a very full plate. John was putting more on his shoulders, transferring small duties for him to handle in preparation for handing over the pack. He did take Dean’s school and training schedules into account, it wasn’t overwhelming, but he did have a serious shortage of free time. That was probably it. He was too busy to get laid. Maybe that could work in her favor. She would lose so much when she went to Morningstar, she shouldn’t have to give him her virginity too, did she? No, nope, that wouldn’t happen. Not only would she sacrifice a dear friendship he’d probably say no. What would he want with a skinny Shifter like her anyway? It had been made blatantly clear to her from day one that she was only pretty if properly made up, and barely that. One of Mindy’s favorite barbs was that whoever eventually mated her would have to put a bag over her head to fuck her.

    To Jade’s dismay, the emotions built themselves up to the point that, by the time she was lurching out of her desk in calculus, she found herself fighting back tears. She hurridly jammed her books into her locker then slipped back outside, going around to the nearest stairwell and hurridly climbing up alongside the rail, avoiding the general current of people descending to the cafeteria. By the time she stumbled into the same third floor girl’s bathroom from this morning her vison was blurring, her nose burning, her chest tighter than ever.

    She ducked into the farthest stall from the door, yanking the door shut and sliding the bolt just to be sure. On the off chance anyone came poking around, she wanted to deter them as much as possible. Jade felt her shoulders hit the wall, sliding down it into a crouch as she gave in. Best to get it out now, get it over with so she could continue carrying on with her day.

    Jade wasn’t sure how long she huddled there, feeling very pathetic as she blubbered into her hands. But eventually the tears did slow, and she rubbed them away as best she could, blowing her nose on what toilet paper was left in the stall. She was sucking in deep breaths, trying to settle herself down, and was about to go splash water on her face when the bathroom door opened. She froze, heart leaping into her throat. She should have locked that door too, what had she been thinking?

    “Jade?”

    Multiple footsteps were making their way in, but it had been Tessa who’d spoken.

    “We know you’re in here,” Meg drawled. “What’s wrong?”

    There was a grunt, then a conciliatory, “We’re just worried,” from Charlie.

    “Do we need to kick someone’s ass?” Anna offered.

    Jade managed a wobbly smile at that. “No. Thank you.”

    “Did something happen?” Charlie asked gently from the other side of the stall door. “Does this have anything to do with what we talked about earlier?”

    “What did you talk about earlier?” Anna asked.

    “Private stuff.”

    “Sort of, but…I’m fine. No one did anything. I promise.”

    “Is that the problem?” Tessa asked.

    “No. It’s…” Jade sighed, scrubbing at her cheeks. “It’s in my head.”

    “Please, open the door,” Charlie coaxed gently. “This isn’t a conversation I want to have through a stall door.”

    Jade bit her lip, but sucked in a deep breath and reluctantly undid the latch. She didn’t like it, but she also knew they wouldn’t leave her be until they were satisfied. When she peeked out, she saw a range of reactions from worry to anger.

    “You’re sure no one did anything?” Anna demanded.

    She shook her head, shuffling out of the stall.

    Charlie stepped forward, putting an arm around her shoulders and rubbing her other arm gently. “Who are they?”

    “No one,” Jade mumbled.

    Meg made a face. “Cut the crap. Just because your family fucked you over doesn’t mean they should be allowed to do this to you. Think about it, do you _really_ want to give them this sort of power over you? On top of everything else?”

    “No,” she admitted quietly.

    “So you like someone, and not the someone they picked for you, right?” Charlie walked her over to the sinks, yanking a few paper towels from a dispenser and wetting them.

    “I’m not sure _anyone_ would like the one they picked for me,” Jade mumbled to her shoes, taking the damp offering. She wiped her face, then pressed cool, recycled paper under her eyes in turn, trying to ease some of the red swelling.

    “Who is it, anyway?” Meg asked, eyes still narrowed.

    Anna and Tessa exchanged a look, but didn’t say anything.

    Jade closed her eyes, then said quietly, “Lucifer Morningstar. They sold me off to Lucifer Morningstar.”

    Dual growls echoed in the tiled room, and when her eyes snapped open she was surprised to see both Charlie and Meg’s eyes glittering primal, faces contorted in snarls. Meg’s were sparking vivid green, Charlie’s amber. Outside of their animal forms, she’d never seem them like that before.

    “Don’t tell anyone,” she pleaded. “It’s not exactly something I’m proud of, or need to be reminded of.”

    “Can’t believe they sold you to that dick,” Meg growled, pacing away then back again.

    “You’ve met him?”

    “He came onto pack turf once, about a year after they took us in. Got kicked out for disrespect and general doucheyness within an hour. He’s just lucky John and Dean were away on pack business.”

    “Wait, then who kicked him out?” Jade protested, confused.

    “Mary. He honestly seemed to think if he came by when they weren’t around he could get her to sign some treaty that would be way overbalanced in his favor. She’s not some bimbo, and she took offense to him assuming that. He threw a bitch fit when an Omega had him thrown out on his ass.”

    “That’s who they….” Charlie seemed have settled down a little. She’d moved on to dismay, then sorrow. The Beta threw both arms around Jade, tight enough and sudden enough to make her squeak. Taking a step back again a moment later, she protested, “That’s not who you were talking about earlier though, right?”

    “No. Someone else.”

    “Who? We’ll set you up. If you’re already mated when he comes to pick you up- “

    “If I pull something like that they won’t just hunt me, they’ll kill me. Then dance on my corpse,” Jade protested. It was a favored threat, one she had no doubt they’d follow through on.

    “They’re _still_ hunting you?” Anna demanded.

    “Hunt?” Meg asked, eyes narrowing.

    Jade almost groaned. “Only twice since you guys moved into town. I think they’re trying to avoid damaging me now that Morningstar’s seen me. They already hate me. The only reason I haven’t been thrown out or worse is because I’m useful to them. They’ve already been getting installments on the bride price, they’ll get a bonus whenever I have a pup, they would just as soon see me dead than ruin that for them. I…even if it was possible, I can’t.”

    Charlie was radiating righteous rage, amber sparks back in her eyes. Meg was growling again. For all they’d been aware of the situation before, Anna and Tessa weren’t much better. Jade was surprised to find how touching it was, seeing how angry they were on her behalf.

    Eventually it was Anna who asked, “What do you mean ‘if it was even possible’?”

    Jade shrugged weakly, throwing away the paper towels she was still clutching. “It wouldn’t work. Just a fantasy.”

    “The condemned get a last meal before their execution. The least you deserve is someone you actually want before they ship you off,” Anna pointed out. “For all you know it’ll work out and they’ll mate you.”

    “It wouldn’t.”

    “How do you know?” Meg challenged.

    “I just do.”

    “How?”

    “Because…because there’s a lot of reasons. First of all, I’m not his type.”

    Both Meg and Charlie gave snorts of laughter.

    “What?” she protested indignantly.

    Meg grinned at her. “Let me just say, we know who you’re talking about. And believe me when I tell you that’s the last thing you should be worried about.”

    “He doesn’t really have a type,” Charlie mused thoughtfully. “I’ve seen him score on just about every color of the rainbow. Have you ever looked under his bed?”

    For what felt like the thousandth time that day, Jade felt her face start to turn various shades of red. “You know…who? And why would I look under his bed?”

    “You’re keeping a low profile at school, which is smart,” Meg admitted. “But we see you on our pack turf, remember? And we see how he looks at you. We see how his wolf treats you. Next time you get the chance, check under Dean-o’s bed.”

    “Why?” Jade squeaked.

    “You’ll see,” Charlie winked. “Remember how I said most normal people have things to relieve that buildup of sexual tension when a partner is unavailable?”

    Was the floor going to swallow her? It would be very nice if it would, preferably before her face exploded due to overheating. It took far too much effort to keep from thinking of Dean…nope, don’t even think his name.

    “I just have one question I’d like an answer to,” Charlie added, tone much more serious. She waited until she had Jade’s full attention, locked eyes with her, then asked, “Do you love him?”

    Jade stared at her with wide eyes, which began to sting again. Trying to swallow down the next round of tears before they could get too much headway, she whispered, “I think I do.”

    Whatever she was expecting, it wasn’t for a huge, happy grin to spread across Charlie’s face. Again she was glomped in a tight hug, but this one lasted a little longer as the Beta rejoiced, “Finally! I need a sister. Not that I don’t like having brothers, they’re awesome and all, but sometimes a girl needs a sister, and I think you’d make a really good one.”

    “You…really?”

    “Yep!” Charlie chirped, bouncing back a step.

    “She’s not wrong,” Meg mused. “They mean well, but they can be a handful. I doubt you’ve noticed, but you handle them pretty damn good.”

    “I do?”

    “I think so,” Anna agreed. “And no weird feelings about…you know?”

    “What? Oh, no, of course not,” Jade hurridly assured her. She hadn’t even wanted to be in the same room as Dean when Anna had hooked up with him. She was hardly going to hold that against her.

    “Good. Then go get him.”

    Jade stared owlishly at her. “What?”

    “They’ve already taken so much from you, they shouldn’t have this too,” Anna urged. “Go talk to him. Do something, don’t just sit around waiting for your heat.”

    “But-but what am I supposed to tell him?” she protested.

    “The truth, for a start. Maybe mention any other details you haven’t already,” Meg suggested.

    “Right now?”

    “Better wait until after school. You go back to his place today, right?” Tessa prompted.

    “Yeah, someplace private,” Anna agreed, wiggling her eyebrows in a fashion even Jade knew was suggestive.

    “Feeling better?” Charlie asked, tilting her head to catch her eye.

    Jade nodded, managing a small smile. “Yes. Thank you. All of you.”

    “Just remember to see one of us after to get the scent off,” Tessa reminded her with a smile.

    With that they led her out into the hallway, back towards the cafeteria for what remained of their lunch period.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80 and HenriaSownbinder!  
> Karategrl80: *Accepts cookies, offers the chapter everyone’s been waiting for.*

    There wasn’t anyone else home when they got there. It wasn’t unusual for John, but according to Dean their mother had taken Sam and Adam to the dentist. He jokingly added he’d done his time the day before, leading the way up to his room. Jade barely managed a smile at that. She’d been on pins and needles all day, trying to work out a plan of action. To say she was all thumbs was an understatement. She had no idea what she was doing or how to go about it. What was she supposed to do, blurt out “I love you” and hope he took it well?

    Dean dumped his bag by his desk, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over the adjacent chair. “You hungry?”

    “I’ll have whatever your having.”

    It was part of their evolved routine, a result of her relaxing enough to voluntarily eat and constantly being nagged about how she was underfed. She was slender, even more so than her mother and sister, and while this had earned her Mindy’s ire Wang Li always insisted she went from tolerable to hideous the moment she started to gain an extra pound or two. It was yet another stark contrast, but one Jade had decided she liked.

    As Dean left to get something from the kitchen, Jade started setting out her binder and textbook. She was plopping them on the desk when she froze, remembering Charlie’s words. She’d gotten used to being in Dean’s room, was very comfortable in a place that was soaked in his scent, but hadn’t gone poking around in it for all she had regular opportunities. She’d wanted to respect his privacy.

   As it was Dean’s room was cleaner than either of her brother’s ever were. Whether this was something he did on his own or at Mary’s behest she wasn’t sure. His bed was always made, the bookshelf above his turntable full of vinyl organized by awesomeness, an oddly diverse array of books above it, an assortment of trophies and ribbons and medals on one wall, right next to an impressive silver knife collection.

    Jade’s eyes drifted to his bed, to the dark gap between it and the floor. There appeared to be a few plastic containers under it, but there were also two boxes that had been pushed a bit farther in. Timidly, one ear cocked for approaching footsteps, Jade sank to her knees on the rug by his bed and peeked under it. She grasped the first, smaller shoe box, pulling it out. She peeked under the lid, then blinked and set it aside. The Omega took out one folded sheet of paper, then another. These were their notes, every note they’d passed back and forth, even the ones that were flat from being shared in chemistry class.

    Her throat tightened, heart tugging painfully as she placed the notes back into their box. He’d really kept them all? Why? Was this what Charlie was talking about?

    Jade put the lid back into place, sliding it back under the bed. She hesitated, then grasped the open edge of the second box, dragging it out just enough to peek into it. There didn’t seem to be anything too scandalous, so she tugged it out a bit farther.

    This box appeared to hold magazines, and nothing else. Frowning a little, Jade picked up the top issue, then the one below it. ‘Guns and Ammo’, ‘Shifter World Weekly’, the most recent copies of both. This couldn’t be what Charlie had been talking about, could it?

    Then she lifted out the October issue of ‘Guns and Ammo’, and nearly dropped it again. ‘Busty Asian Beauties’? That was a thing? Obviously it was, but…thanks to her more sexually proactive friends Jade was aware of what porn was, and that there was a truly impressive variety, for all she didn’t know what that variety was exactly. She also knew that it came in various forms, including magazines. According to Charlie it wasn’t just normal to have access to such things, to hear her tell it, it was healthy.

    Gingerly setting aside the more socially appropriate issues, Jade began working her way through the ‘Busty Asian Beauties’ copies. No two were alike, and when she started looking at the dates she found they were all meticulously organized by order of date. They filled up most of the box, and went back years. A quick count indicated this collection had begun when the Alpha was thirteen. When she dared a closer look, she found the older issues had more worn pages, others even had Post-It markers sticking out.

    Jade hurridly put most of them back, but hesitated with the top one in her hands. Gingerly, uncertainly, she peeked under the cover. Well…the title wasn’t wrong. The female on the first page, opposite some sort of article, _was_ beautiful. And undeniably Asian. And you would need to be blind not to acknowledge the fact she was well endowed, considering she was just wearing a bikini top.

    The Omega moved on to the next page, expecting more articles. It was a magazine, after all. No, instead the next two pages held two photos that completely took up the space. The same woman from the previous page was fully visible, posing on a rock formation, each of the two shots from a different angle. This time, there wasn’t even the scrapes of a bikini to shield her modesty. One shot allowed a full view of her bare breasts, the other had her naked rear on display, legs folded underneath her to subtly shield her genitals from view.

    The millisecond Jade realized what she was looking at she snapped the magazine shut, dropping it as though the glossy paper burned. It seemed to be a reoccurring issue where sex-related things were concerned, understanding the basic mechanics was far different from seeing or experiencing the real thing. She’d known what pornography was, she knew what Play Boy was, and this appeared to be a variety that focused specifically on an Asian ‘product’, as it were. Was _this_ what Dean liked? Well, it was hardly a downside in her case. If nothing else she shared some degree of genetics with these females. She knew she wasn’t beautiful, but she wasn’t exactly flat in the mammary gland region. One and a half for three wasn’t bad, right?

    The microwave went off downstairs. Jade hurridly replaced everything exactly as she’d found it, then perched on Dean’s desk chair, grabbing her phone and making herself look very occupied with one of the archaic games it had. Dean came up a minute later, tray in hand. He seemed to have a soft spot for Mexican food, as Jade had discovered over these past weeks. What’s more, he could cook. She could cook, but it had always been out of necessity. The rare times she could do it with just her and _Nai-Nai_ , learning traditional recipes and enjoying the results, were her favorite. But Dean had a knack for it, and seemed to enjoy it far more than she ever had. Today was one of his fallback snacks, nachos with homemade guacamole and lightly baked taquitos.

    Jade snagged a chip as he set down the tray, getting a blob of the delicious green goo onto it before popping it into her mouth. She’d always lost her appetite when she was nervous, but Dean’s cooking was _really_ good, and she was trying to appear normal. This was normal. She accepted a soda bottle as she chewed, twisting the cap off as Dean went to steal Sam’s desk chair.

    “Do you guys do Christmas?” Dean asked as he dropped into it. “Or is it one of those things they do but not you?”

    The Omega managed a very real grimace at that. It was essentially what happened on most other holidays they celebrated, especially Chinese New Year. She was required to help prepare, to bake the traditional foods they would eat in celebration, but after that she was banished to her room while they counted down to midnight. If it wasn’t for _Nai-Nai_ , her birthday would go ignored every single year while her siblings always received big, unmissable bashes. It had to be subtle, little gifts that would go unnoticed, like a little cupcake with a ‘Happy Birthday’ note or card hidden in her wardrobe for her to find. Granted with the latter she had to destroy all evidence, but it was worth it. Dean had only asked her when her birthday was, not how it was celebrated.

    “I do the cooking, and most of the decorating, but I like the decorating,” Jade admitted. “After they found out they could get attention for having the brightest house on the block in December they gave more leash on it than I get for anything else.”

    “That’s not what I meant.”

    “I know,” she sighed, nibbling on a taquito. _“Nai-Nai_ gets me something sometimes, but I don’t have a stocking or anything, and I have to be there when they open presents. From what I understand they might not have gotten into it much at all if my brothers and sister hadn’t realized it was the perfect excuse for more attention and presents. Plus all the food and treats, of course.” Eying the Alpha’s scowl she asked, “Why do you keep asking me these things if we both know it makes you angry?”

    “Dunno,” Dean muttered, chomping angrily on a loaded chip. “Guess I’m hoping something’ll change.”

    “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result,” Jade informed him sagely.

    “I just don’t get how people can treat their own pup like that,” he protested. “There’s no give. It ain’t right.”

    “Wishing for something doesn’t make it so.”

    Dean’s scowl turned on her, which didn’t phase her. With many others it would send her scurrying, and while she didn’t like it she didn’t budge. Even after he started to raise his voice. “How can you be so calm about this? It’s okay to get pissed, you’ve got every reason to be.”

    “What’s the point? What good does that do me?” she protested. “I can’t do anything about it, if I do get mad they’ll turn it against me.”

    “Why haven’t you just left?”

    Jade stared at him for a moment. “You say that like it’s so easy.”

    “Isn’t it?”

    “It’s not, I’ve tried,” the Omega snapped.

    Surprise crossed Dean’s face. “You have? When? What happened?”

    Jade wished she’d kept her mouth shut. There was a very good reason she hadn’t mentioned it. But she knew Dean well enough by now to realize he wasn’t about to let this drop, not without answers. “It was a long time ago.”

    “How long?”

    “I was six.”

    The Alpha’s face darkened. “It was bad enough by then?”

    “I was in preschool by then. I’d heard about the Shifter Council. My teacher said that they could help people, they were specialists in Shifter law and all that. Mom had gotten stools so _Nai-Nai_ could start teaching me how to cook and do laundry. She didn’t want to, but if Mom caught her doing it for me or just letting me watch it…it wasn’t good. By that point they’d given up getting Sherman and Lee to leave me alone and started punishing me for getting upset about it. Mindy wasn’t much better.”

    She left out how she’d gotten an hour-long lecture full of shouting and hitting when her teacher had called her parents into a meeting after learning Jade didn’t want to go home. She’d gotten worried, which had royally angered them. And how she’d gotten teased because Mindy had cut her hair horribly and her parents had refused to take her to a professional to get it fixed. _Nai-Nai_ had given her a boyish cut to even it out with her sewing scissors. Her own parents had been the ones telling her brothers to hit her where the bruises wouldn’t show after yet another call from a worried teacher.

    “I didn’t know where they were, and I was afraid to get _Nai-Nai_ in trouble so I didn’t ask her. I just put some things into a bag and walked out the door one morning. Eventually I ended up at the park, completely turned around, and starting to worry my master plan wouldn’t work. Some policeman was parked nearby, and I remembered that teacher saying they were there to help so I walked up to him. I told him I was lost and I was trying to get to the Shifter Council. He was human, so naturally he didn’t want to touch that with a ten-foot pole. He took me to the station, and eventually they decided it would be best to call my parents. I begged them not to, and they called child services, and they met up at the station at about the same time. Even though most of them were Shifters…they eventually decided they didn’t have anything conclusive and sent me home with them.”

    “Do I want to know?”

    “No,” she said quietly.

    To say they’d been furious had been an understatement. How dare she try to walk away from her pack, her family? How dare she disrespect them? They’d clothed her, fed her, let her sleep in a house, even sent her to school. How dare she make them lose face in such a manner? It had been the longest lecture/beating to date. Had she been able to shift they would have hunted her that night, she was sure. They hadn’t fed her for a whole week, which would have very literally killed her if _Nai-Nai_ hadn’t been able to sneak her enough scraps to get her by. She hadn’t been allowed back to that preschool, she’d never seen that nice teacher again. After that they’d always made sure her teachers were pre-poisoned, so school wasn’t a guaranteed escape anymore. Until she’d made friends with Anna in first grade, then Tessa and Samandriel in third grade, it had been just as bad as home.

    “You haven’t tried since?”

    “They’ve made sure there’s no way to. And now that they’ve made sure I’m already attached to Morningstar there’s not many loopholes for the Council to use that would help me.” Abruptly she stated, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Can we watch Dr. Sexy or something?”

    Dean didn’t look happy about it, but unlike her family he respected her wishes. Besides, he was a closet Dr. Sexy fanboy, and all previous seasons were on Netflix. It was one of those things that had a tendency to bring out a part of him that could be irritating, but for the most part she just found it endearing. She got the sense he didn’t let just anyone close enough to see it, it was nice to know she was part of that special inner circle. Dr. Sexy, Westerns, a variety of sci-fi and fantasy genre’s, any one of them could turn him into an enthusiastic fanboy or a hardcore geek.

    Gradually, the intake of Dr. Sexy and Mexican food seemed to settle the Alpha. Jade knew he wasn’t just going to forget, he never did, for all she sometimes wished he would. She didn’t want pity, didn’t want him to make trouble on her account to try swooping in like a wolf in shining armor. She just wanted a taste of normality, wanted to enjoy her enlarged group of friends, for as long as she could. She had less than a year left, after all.

    More importantly, today she had a mission. One this latest topic had derailed a bit. As it was Jade had to wait until they’d eaten everything, and watched three episodes, before she could broach the subject.

    They were coming back into his room, she insisted on helping him clean up whenever he made food, when she said as casually as possible, “You never did say who you took to homecoming.”

    Dean shrugged, sitting back down. “There was a meeting Dad wanted me to sit in on that night. I wasn’t going to take anyone anyway. That was before Charlie was with Gilda, we were gonna go as friends, which is actually more fun. Why you asking about this now?”

    “Just curious. I’m kind of surprised, actually. From what I understood you didn’t stay stag for very long, and I can’t remember the last time you mentioned anyone.”

    “’Cause there ain’t anyone.” He started the next episode, but paused it to look at her. “Not that I’ve been dating, anyway.”

    Okay, so far so good. She wouldn’t be stepping on any unforeseen toes. “You, um…you-you like me, right?”

    Dean’s eyes narrowed slightly, probably at the stammer, which hadn’t come out in months by this point. “Yeah, I like you.”

    Jade opened her mouth, but she couldn’t cobble together the right words so she closed it again. Deciding it would be best to get it over with, and actions would probably be clearer anyway, she just went for it. Holding her breath, the Omega leaned over and abruptly pressed her lips over his. It lasted barely a second, just long enough to confirm contact had been made before she returned to her somewhat upright position, looking anywhere but at Dean as she waited for his response.

    At first there wasn’t one. Then gentle fingers caught her chin, lifting her face and bringing it back towards him. Jade reluctantly peeked up into his face, almost afraid of what she’d see. There was no irritation, no disgust or revulsion or anger. In fact she wasn’t quite sure what she was seeing, though his expression did seem…soft.

    Then he was leaning towards her, and their lips brushed together in something that better resembled a kiss. Jade’s eyes fluttered closed, relief making her limbs weak. She began uncertainly returning the longer, firmer kiss that followed its predecessor, knowing she was fumbling it but doing as best she could. Timid fingers tangled in his shirt, clinging to him as his hand slid around to cup the back of her neck. It was a slow, gentle progression, which stole more breath than Jade had anticipated. His lips were cooler than she’d anticipated, but warmed quickly as they moved over hers, with hers. They were indeed very soft, for all they were firm and a bit chapped. Somehow this small imperfection made it all the more real, all the more thrilling.

    Jade was left panting after what felt like far too short a time, and Dean moved down to trail a slow line of kisses down her jaw as she caught her breath. “Sor-sorry, not very good at this,” she rasped, breathless.

    His lips, currently pressed to her jugular, curled into a smile. “Not bad for your first time, Angel.”

    Her breath hitched. Angel? He’d never called her that before. No one had. But she liked it, of that she was sure.

    The Alpha’s hands came up, cupping her face as he returned to her mouth. It was a sloppier process than she’d anticipated, too, and he didn’t taste much like he smelled, but she decided this wasn’t a bad thing. In fact she liked it better than her dream. Kissing wasn’t just pressing lips to lips, it was movement, it was stroking and sucking and gasped breath and oh gods he just caught her lip between his teeth. Not a real bite, he used just enough pressure to catch her lip for a moment or two before releasing it and going back in for more. Did she just moan? Embarrassing, but she liked it far more than she thought she would. Wasn’t biting supposed to be painful?

    She was still wondering over this, with what little brainpower she had left for such things after so much of it was trying to focus on every second Dean was touching her, when his tongue joined the fun. It happened after they’d parted briefly, another break for air, darting out to lightly trace her lip. This took some more getting used to, but it seemed a bit too complicated to try herself at the moment.

    One hand slid around, cupping the back of her skull, stroking her hair as the other brushed down the side of her neck. Fingers that seemed to burn through her shirt moved down her back, splaying to press against the small of her back, pulling her closer. Timidly, Jade unlocked her right hand from his shirt and reached up to brush lightly against his hair. It was still softer than she’d thought it’d be, which she found oddly delightful.

    The Alpha must have liked it too, a low growl thrummed in his throat as he pulled away for air. That gasp of oxygen was enough for Jade to remember she had a purpose here, as much as she was enjoying this. So, reluctantly, she fought to keep her head as Dean drew her back in. She dragged herself to a standing position, doing it slow enough she was able to coax him up with her, not breaking their kiss. She was relieved when he followed, moving a few steps until she could pull him down onto the bed’s edge.

    Jade’s luck ran out there, though. She was reaching for her blouse, unsteady fingers fumbling with the buttons, when warm digits wrapped around hers. He didn’t withdraw, just pushed them away. Didn’t help her along, didn’t reach for her belt, nothing. Okay, hardly a success, but not a failure either. She tried again, this time reaching for _his_ belt. She managed to loosen it before he caught her hand again.

    Dean finally broke their kiss, eyes dilated and bright, lips likely as swollen as hers were. “What’re you doing?” he rasped.

    This went beyond blushing, of that she was sure. Only an oddly chilling combination of horror and humiliation kept her frozen in place, staring into his gaze. “I…Dean I….”

    “Did I miss something?”

    Jade gulped, then blurted, “I’m sorry but I don’t know how much longer I have and I really just want- “

    “Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Dean protested. He pulled back a little more, one hand settling on her wrist. “I can’t understand you.”

    She was almost afraid to watch his face, but she had to know. “I want…I _need_ you to do this for me. I know we fight about it whenever we talk about it but the fact remains I probably won’t make it to graduation. I’m going to lose everything else to Morningstar, I won’t give him my virginity too.”

    What appeared to be genuine shock flickered across Dean’s face. “You want…but I don’t…why?”

    Jade had already come to the conclusion she couldn’t really tell him it was because she loved him. She settled for, “Because I care about you, and I trust you.” Feeling increasingly uncomfortable she pressed on, “And…you know what you’re doing.”

    Dean sat back, shaking his head. “I can’t just…I mean I _can_ but I won’t.”

    “Why not?” Jade pleaded. “What makes me different from all those other girls? Why can’t you do for me what you did for them?”

    “Most of ‘em weren’t virgins, for one. At least I don’t think so.”

    “That’s it? That’s your problem?”

    “No!” Dean stood abruptly, pacing away from the bed before turning around again. “That’s not the point here. You’re not those other girls. You’re the exact opposite.”

    “How? I have the same parts, don’t I?”

    “I’m sure you do, but that doesn’t mean you’re like them.”

    “So what’s stopping you?”

    “You’re not fuckable,” Dean blurted. Later she might realize he looked genuinely flustered.

    In the moment, though, she went very still. He might as well have slapped her. She went very still, very quiet, a chill rolling over her. “Oh,” she said, voice low, looking everywhere but at him. “I see. I apologize for misreading you. I think I should go now.”

    “Jade, wait.”

    “I’ll call Samandriel to come get me.” She was stiffly shoving things into her bag, fighting back shame-induced tears and no small amount of regret. She’d had a perfectly good friendship, then she’d gone and ruined it. Why couldn’t she had just enjoyed what she’d had for a little longer?

    “That’s not what I meant.”

    “No, I think you were clear enough.”

    “No, I wasn’t. Just wait, okay?” he protested, hovering at her side as she yanked her bag closed and slung it onto one shoulder, marching towards the door. “Let me explain.”

    “What’s to explain?”

    “Yes there were others, but it was different. They knew the score going in, we both did. I just wanted to have fun, they just wanted to have fun, everyone walked away happy. No one was looking for anything real.”

    “How is that any different from what I’m asking?” Jade demanded, spinning around at the base of his stairs to face him. “I know about them, I know the score, that’s why I’m asking. Nothing will come of it, I just want to have one time with someone who means something to me, that I chose for myself.”

    “I get that, but that’s why I’m saying no.”

    Jade fumbled in a side pocket for her phone, lurching towards the door. “This is me accepting that answer. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be out of your hair.”

    She was reaching for the doorknob when hands grabbed her biceps, yanking her around until she was staring directly into Dean’s eyes, which he’d bent to put at her level. Her phone hit the floor as she jerked back instinctively, recoiling from a grab that had always come before an assault. Even through that instinctive surge of panic, though, she still heard the Alpha loud and clear when he erupted, “I can’t do it because I love you too much, damn it!”

    Whatever Jade had expected, it was certainly not that. She stilled, eyes widening as she stared at him. A tiny, “What?” managed to get free.

    Pink was starting to rise under previously paled cheeks. It seemed Dean hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but nor did he take it back. “You’re right, they meant nothing and it was easy. But you mean too much to me. I’m not going to treat you like a quick lay because you’re not. I want you to be more than that.”

    “But…why? I’m not…why?”

    Dean smiled tightly, straightening a little, grip going soft. He glanced down, mumbling “sorry” as he released her to slide an arm around her shoulders. He drew her into the living room, sitting them down on the couch so it’d be easier to stay on a similar level before saying, “Because you’re you, that’s why.”

    “You say it like it’s that simple.”

    “It kinda is,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I honestly thought you knew, but I guess I should have known better.”

    “How could I have possibly known?”

    He shrugged. “My wolf, for one thing. He doesn’t take to new people very easily, and you’ve seen how he is with you. Stupid mutt still perks up every time you walk into a room.”

    Jade was sure she was still blushing from the L-word, but this wasn’t helping. Yes, alright, so she’d noticed his wolf’s behavior. Her own wolf had informed her repeatedly that it was the canine equivalent of flirtation, and had begun allowing it roughly a week after it had started, but Jade herself had been afraid to read too much into it. Almost every time they let their wolves out for a run, the Alpha’s would greet hers with a gentle bump of his nose. Periodically she’d be subject to nudging and the much larger wolf brushing against her. On the rare occasions her wolf would lay down they would inevitably have forelegs draped over them while the Alpha nuzzled their ears and preformed blatant grooming until they were shaken off.

    “I, um, wasn’t too sure how much overlap there was.”

    “There’s plenty of overlap,” Dean promised. “Trust me. Since you put up with it I was kinda hoping…you know.”

    Jade frowned slightly. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

    “That you felt the same way about me, or were starting to.”

    “Oh.” Jade bit her lip, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. “Actually…I, I do. That’s why I wanted it to be you, because I…. _I love you.”_ For some gods forsaken reason it was a little easier to get the words out in Mandarin. Probably because he couldn’t understand it.

    Despite that, Jade immediately had a set of muscled arms wrapping around her, pulling her to sit sideways on his lap. The Omega hesitated for only a moment before wrapping her arms around him in turn, breath hitching as fingers ran up into her hair, turning her face into his neck as he buried his face in her own.

    “Say it again?” he mumbled into her skin.

    “What?”

    “I’m pretty sure that was ‘I love you’ in Chinese. Right?”

    “Mandarin, but…yeah. _W_ _ǒ_ _à_ _i n_ _ǐ_ _._ _”_

    “ _W_ _ǒ_ _à_ _i n_ _ǐ_ _,_ ” Dean repeated carefully.

    Jade nodded against him, and his arms tightened around her.

    “Not yet, Angel. Wanna treat you right, like you deserve. Believe me when I say I would _love_ to have the sex with you, but you’re different so I’m trying to show some restraint.”

    She couldn’t help it. She giggled. “The sex?” she repeated incredulously.

    Dean groaned, nuzzling her scent glands. “See what you do to me? I’m trying to be serious here but you do things to me. I used to be smooth, you know.”

    “You still are,” she promised reassuringly, still smiling.

    “I don’t need pity points,” he grouched, then sighed against her skin.

    Jade hummed, petting his soft hair, reluctantly returning to the very pressing subject at hand. “I wasn’t kidding. I appreciate what you’re doing but I really don’t have much time left. Regardless of when my heat hits they’re giving me to him after graduation.”

    The Alpha gave a low growl, arms tightening around her. “Fuck him.”

    “I’d really rather not, but it’s not my choice.”

    Dean pulled away, scowling.

    “Let’s just not talk about him,” she suggested hurridly. “I don’t think either of us want that.”

    “Fine,” he sighed. “We’ll do it, just…not today. Don’t think it’s the time or the place. I guarantee you someone’s gonna be coming home in five minutes and the least you deserve is a damn bed.” He cupped her face with one hand, kissing her tenderly. “In the meantime I’d just like to enjoy this. You.”

    “Okay,” she muttered breathlessly.

    They were still on the couch when Mary came home with Sam and Adam, Jade tucked up against his side, Dr. Sexy on the TV. She was highly reluctant to do anymore kissing with other people around, but the one time she was very sure Mary caught them the elder Omega didn’t protest or seem upset, just smiled in a very knowing, very smug fashion. This didn’t make much sense to Jade until she was about to leave, and Dean gave her one last kiss before he got up.

    It was rudely interrupted when Adam announced, “Before Christmas! I win!”

    Dean jerked away, eyes narrowing at his little brothers. Both were staring down the hallway at them, Sam looking very peeved, Adam looking equally smug. “What did you win?” he asked, tone eerily calm. Jade, who could feel her face once more returning to a complexion reminiscent of a firetruck, peeked around him at the younger Shifters. As uneasy as she was, she had to know, for the sake of damage control.

    “Sorry, not yet you don’t,” Mary interrupted, coming to join them as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. “They’re just kissing, that’s it.”

    Adam scowled. “Are you kidding me? He never takes this long.”

    “I knew it,” Sam announced triumphantly, smirking.

    “Knew what?” Dean growled, stomping towards them.

    They tried to beat a quick retreat, only to be stopped when their own mother caught them by their scruffs and made them face their elder brother. “Go on, tell him. He’s just going to hound you until you do.”

    Adam gave his mother a stricken look. “But he’ll kill me.”

    “You should have thought of that before you decided to count chickens that hadn’t hatched yet.”

    Sam was holding up both hands in a defensive, ‘I can explain’ stance. “It’s just a friendly wager me and Adam are doing. It’s all in good fun, promise. You weren’t supposed to know.”

    “Wager. On. What?” Dean bit out.

    “When you’re gonna mate her,” Adam blurted, backing up into their mother.

    A very odd, somewhat strangled sounding squeak managed to wiggle free of Jade’s throat. If she could evaporate right now that would be perfect. In front of her she could see Dean go still. Even he sounded thrown off as he demanded, “You what?”

    “I didn’t think it’d take this long,” Adam protested. “Hurry up, will you?”

    “You little shit!”

    “Do _not_ skin your brother,” Mary warned, holding up a hand.

    By some miracle this halted the Alpha’s launch cold, almost resulting in him falling on his face as Adam streaked to the safety of the backyard.

    “It’s his own fault he bet too soon,” Sam grumbled. “My money’s on Christmas break.”

    Very slowly, what Jade guessed to be a murderous gaze slowly turned on him, and Sam hurridly followed Adam out.

    “Go easy on them,” Mary chuckled. “It’s the first time they’ve worked together on an operation larger than Pictionary. It’s good practice.”

    “Just how many people are in on this?” Dean demanded.

    “Most of the pack. But don’t worry, part of the rules of inclusion are that it stays in strict confidence. There’s no chance of word getting out to people who shouldn’t know.”

    “How long have you known about this?”

    “A few weeks.”

    There was a beat of silence, then, “Tell me you’re not in on it.”

    Mary directed an apologetic smile at Jade, who was actively trying to melt into the floor. “I’m sorry, but it _is_ interesting.” Turning her attention back to her son, she quipped, “And I don’t see why you’re so upset. It means we’re all very supportive and are looking forward to having her become part of the pack.”

    Dean apparently gave up after that. He jerked around, marching towards the door and yanking it open. Jade scurried out, not speaking a word as they got into the Impala. As it was they were almost to Samandriel’s when she managed a quiet, “Is this normal?”

    “For my family? Yeah. I’m sorry, I didn’t know. But if she’s in on it there’s no stopping it.”

    “No, it’s…it’s embarrassing, but they mean well. I’m just sorry they’re going to be disappointed.”

    Dean didn’t comment on that. Though before Jade could get out he gave her one more kiss, a light peck on the lips that had her blushing all over again. She found herself stumbling a bit as she got out, fluttering more than walking towards her friend’s front door.

    Samandriel opened it before she reached it, keys in hand, eyebrows raised. “Well?”

    “Well what?”

    “How’d it go?” Then he grimaced, stepping back. “You’d better come in. We’re going to need to get his scent off you.”

    “Is it that bad?”

    “Only if you go home with it.”

    She ended up rolling through Samandriel’s bed as he put her clothes through a few minutes in the dryer with some of his, and barrowing some of his mother’s dry shampoo to get the last of it out of her hair. She hated having to get rid of Dean’s scent. She’d honestly loved being drenched in it, from top to toe, remembering having him wrapped around her, kissing her. But it would mean a hunt for sure, at the very least, if she went home that way. So she had to get rid of it.

    Jade was so preoccupied she almost forgot about what she was going to ask Samandriel until they were parking block away from her house. She hesitated as she reached for the door, asking, “By the way, have you heard of a pool?”

    “Betting pool? For what?” he asked, sounding all too innocent.

    “Not you too,” she groaned.

    “Sorry. But…you’ve never had an out before. This could be it.”

    “Thank you for helping me,” she said, climbing out. “See you Monday.”

    For all she’d rejected the notion outright, trying very hard not to think about it too much, it did have merit. Maybe she would have considered it, too. But every single time she got her hopes up, they always ended up crushed. With extreme prejudice. She wasn’t about to go through that again.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    It became harder to keep Dean’s scent off her. There was only one more week before Christmas break, and they made the most of it. Now that she was willing to accept his wolf’s behavior for what it was, Jade’s wolf began to reciprocate. Bumping and nuzzlings weren’t just tolerated, they were returned. Generally grooming was always done by the sire, but the one time they had time for it that week Jade watched in fascination as her wolf thanked his by licking his face. This made the Alpha outright ecstatic, falling over as they darted around in circles and jumped so awkwardly their paws got tangled, tail a waving blur the whole time.

    Sadly the kisses had to be limited, but she did enjoy them far more often than she used to. On a whim, that last Thursday Jade even went to the boxing match. She hadn’t yet gone to any meets or practices, both to put some degree of separation between them and because she found the violence off-putting. She’d endured enough of it in her life she didn’t need any extra, thank you. But Kevin and all her other friends were going, and she was staying late for AV club anyway, so she had good excuses lined up.

    Dean didn’t know beforehand, but she knew the moment he spotted her in the crowd. Perched on the bleachers three rows in, smack in the middle of her friends, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. He grinned so wide his obligatory mouthguard almost fell out, but sobered almost immediately and turned his attention back to his opponent. Jade wasn’t sure what she was expecting, though she knew the rules and regulations for this were a bit different than Dean’s usual sport of choice. She was surprised to see this was almost a hindrance, for all he still won by a wide margin. Though she distinctly heard Cas rumble something along the lines of, “He usually draws it out more than this.” It looked like Meg and Charlie were in agreement, but his lower tones were easier to hear over the crowd’s cheering.

    Jade had already decked their halls to the nines, but she added a few more trimmings and trappings over the break to try and keep her parents appeased. The days not spent cleaning and baking batch after batch of Christmas cookies to pacify them were spent hiding at friend’s houses, which could get a bit tricky this time of year. The Tran’s almost always stayed home, but they had events to attend, Tessa’s family always left the day after the pups got out of school, and Samandriel’s family were only home for half of it. Not that his family liked her hanging around too much to begin with. Anna’s family was going to the Rocky Mountains this year, and wouldn’t be coming back until January. At least Meg wasn’t going anywhere for a while, nor was Charlie, though it seemed the pack did have a big dinner on Christmas Eve. This was done so that Christmas day could be properly enjoyed with sleeping in, playing with new gifts, and generally doing as little as possible. And eating what leftovers remained, of course. Though according to Dean some of the pack were due to travel up to Sioux Falls for New Years, to spend it with their extended family.

    Jade and _Nai-Nai_ spent most of Christmas morning, what remained after watching her siblings open all their presents, making their big meal. After that was a lot of cleanup, and making more cookies to further satisfy the ravenous hordes that was their pack. The day after Jade retreated to Kevin’s house, then went to visit the Winchester-Campbell pack before they left. When they got there Meg was walking alongside Claire, looking very much the proud mother as her pup peddled around on a bike with training wheels, painted black with orange and red flames. Cas stood back, filming the moment, nodding to them as they approached.

    “Look what Santa brought!” Claire chirped brightly, waving to them. “Ain’t it awesome?”

    “It sure is,” Kevin agreed, both of them smiling at the delighted pup.

    “Do bikes stereotypically marketed to boys have pink streamers?” Jade asked quietly as Claire continued to ride around the driveway.

    “Nope. Special request.”

    Jade nodded slowly. She took a position off to the side, arms folded tightly in her threadbare coat. Cas lowered his phone, frowning down at her. “Are you cold?”

    “I’m fine, thanks.”

    Per usual he didn’t seem convinced, but nor did he press her. Jade got the sense he noticed more than he seemed to, but he kept his thoughts to himself most of the time. Like now, when he seemed to be aware she was lying, but he didn’t call her on it. He was better about that than Meg and Dean. Instead he turned his attention back to his pup, lips twitching in amusement as Claire tried unsuccessfully to execute a wheelie. “That will have to wait until you’re done with the training wheels,” he called.

    “How long will that be?” Claire protested, turning to stare at him.

    Meg patted the plain pink helmet on her head, making plastic creak. “Wait until you get the hang of this first.”

    “I’ve got the hang of it.”

    “Practice,” Cas stated simply, motioning for her to keep going.

    Claire pouted, but gave her bell a flick and continued on. Jade couldn’t help but smile. “She looks like she’s having fun.”

    “She was up as soon as it was light,” the Alpha informed her, giving a long-suffering sigh. “We had to make a rule after last year, if you try to see what Santa brings too early it might disappear.”

    “What happened last year?”

    “She was jumping on our bed before dawn.”

    “She didn’t try to pull it again this year?”

    Meg smirked as she came over, hands thrust into the pockets of her leather jacket. Apparently she’d decided Claire was good to ride down the sidewalk and back without micromanagement. As she stood alongside her friend she stated, “No, they disappeared last year. She had to go back to bed for an hour before they came back.”

    “How’d you manage that?”

    “Clarence texted Dean. He and Sam snuck everything out while we stalled her upstairs. The shock was enough to make our point.”

    Jade cracked a smile. The slightly smaller house directly across the street from the one Dean and his family resided in housed Meg and her small family. They weren’t the only people on the street outside, playing with new toys, and Claire wasn’t the only one with a new bike. It wasn’t that much different from what was on her own street, but it felt more…welcoming. She knew that if she were to walk driveway to driveway she wouldn’t be shunned or given the stink eye, she’d be greeted and they’d ask how her Christmas was. If her previous experience was anything to go by at least half of them would even try to feed her. Yet another reminder of what could be, a contrast made all the more stark by the holidays. She’d allowed herself to seriously consider it in recent days, despite herself. The problem was she had no idea how to go about getting this other life without completely ruining things, or at the very least not ending up dead.

    “Are you going up to South Dakota too?”

    “Yeah. The Singer’s basically adopted us. She calls Bobby and Ellen Gramps and Gran.”

    “I’m not sure any of us would have survived her first few months without them,” Cas recalled. “I never fully appreciated just how effective an interrogation technique sleep deprivation was. Or how strong tiny lungs could be.”

    “That’s why they’re getting the good stuff for Christmas,” Meg informed her. “Best whisky we can afford. I love the little demon, but she can be a handful.” Louder she called, “You’re doing great, honey!”

    Cas chuckled as Claire dinged her bell enthusiastically at this. “You realize eventually she’s going to catch on to what you’re saying?”

    “Don’t spoil my fun, Clarence.”

    “Then you can be the one to explain to her preschool teacher just how our little princess knew to tell another kid to fuck off.”

    Meg rolled her eyes, but grumbled, “Fine. What’re you so worried about, anyway? That’s not until next year.”

    “Because while you were in the shower, I had to explain to her why she can’t say ‘shit’ when she stubs her toe.”

    “What’s wrong with that?”

    “She can’t say it in public,” Cas sighed.

    “You don’t have to keep reminding me. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only foul mouthed one around here. You can get pretty colorful yourself.”

    “Would a swear jar be beneficial?

    “Make it a unicorn cookie jar and you’ve got a deal.”

    “I will procure a unicorn cookie jar.”

    Jade didn’t realize she was smiling at first. This was hardly the first such interaction she’d witnessed with members of Dean’s pack. She’d seen it with Benny and Andrea, John and Mary, even Sam and Gabriel for all the two claimed to only tolerate each other. It was that same air she had when she was with Dean. It was simple, subtle, but it was there.

    After watching Claire circle around a bit more she and Kevin moved on to Dean’s house. According to Kevin there was a guarantee of all the desserts they could eat. He wasn’t wrong. There were still two pies and five different types of Christmas cookie still waiting for consumption. While it was a lot, that wasn’t what shocked Jade.

    What shocked her was that she walked through the door and Adam bounced in from the living room, a wide smile on his face, saying “Merry Christmas, Jade!” She was opening her mouth to return the sentiment when he threw both arms around her in a brief if firm hug before releasing her, going back to his paused video game. Jade stared after him, then at Kevin, eyes wide.

    Before he could say anything, Sam came down the stairs, shrugging into a coat, what looked to be a new basketball under one arm. “Mom, I’m going over to Eileen’s.” As Mary called affirmation from the next room the second of Dean’s brother’s paused, slinging one long arm around her shoulders in a brief hug before pulling the door open. “Merry Christmas, Jade. Try the gingerbread!”

    Mary poked her head around the corner as the door shut. “Oh, good, we need to get rid of it before we leave or it’ll go stale. I hope you two are hungry.”

    As they walked towards the kitchen Kevin bent down to her ear, saying quietly, “That’s what brothers are supposed to be like. When they’re not being asshats.”

    Jade blinked, nonplussed, only to have a whole gingerbread house set in front of her. Complete with icing details, gumdrop décor, and licorice siding. Kevin had a similar construct in front of him, an amused look in his eyes as he munched on a snickerdoodle.

    “Go overboard again?”

    “I’m afraid so. Do _not_ give him any licorice until he’s done packing.”

    Jade didn’t really need to ask, but before she could have an irked, “Hey!” came from upstairs.

    “If someone doesn’t motivate you you’ll be throwing underwear and a toothbrush into a bag two minutes before we leave,” Mary called back.

    The younger Omega began peeling off the licorice, setting it aside and popping gumdrops into her mouth. Raising her voice slightly she called, “I think I’ll save the licorice for last.”

    “I never got why he liked this stuff,” Kevin mused, eyeing the dark candy. “Your shortbread’s way better.”

    “Want to take some home?”

    “Sure.”

    There was some thumping upstairs as they ate, a few slammed drawers. Funny enough, they came from two parts of the upstairs. Jade glanced up at the ceiling after a particularly loud thud, but Mary didn’t seem worried. As she set out glasses of milk she said simply, “Like father like son. Shortbread’s John’s favorite.”

    Jade looked at Kevin, who grinned impishly as he deliberately bit into a shortbread cookie. A few minutes later Dean tramped downstairs, dumping a duffle in the hallway and marching into the kitchen. He plopped down in the seat next to Jade, taking the offered licorice as he draped an arm over her shoulders.

    “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Mary prodded innocently, setting a hearty slice of chocolate pecan pie in front of him.

    “Pie?”

    Jade blinked, surprised to find herself on the receiving end of his offer. “Are you sure?”

    Apparently ignoring the shocked look on Kevin’s face, the Alpha got a bite onto his fork and offered it to her. Jade hesitated, then leaned forward to accept it. She was sitting back, chewing thoughtfully when John joined them.

    “It’s good,” she said quietly.

    _“Good?_ That’s it? It’s pie,” Dean protested.

    “I’m not the pie fanatic you are,” Jade argued, wiggling some more licorice under his nose until he bit it. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

    She pointedly didn’t look over at Kevin as he snickered. The brief, rumbling chuckle behind her was a bit harder to ignore. John set down his plate, sitting down opposite his son, who was looking somewhat sullen as he gnawed on the licorice. When Jade risked a peek up, she caught sight of an unmistakable twinkle in the elder Alpha’s eyes. It was getting easier to relax in John’s presence, but she still made sure to show as much respect as possible. Avoiding eye contact, speaking quietly if at all, though depending on how soon she noticed his presence this might not always be the case. For what it was worth, John didn’t seem to mind her lapses. If anything, he seemed to genuinely enjoy them.

    “When are you guys heading out?” Kevin asked, unhindered.

    “Tomorrow morning. Should be long enough to eat all the leftovers. Ham?” Mary asked.

    “Sure,” John and Dean said at once.

    “I was asking our guests,” Mary informed them sternly.

    “Yes, please.” It had been a while since she’d had holiday ham of the American variety. It tended to go fast in her house.

    Jade was only allowed out after she’d been satisfactorily stuffed, dragged out the back door by Dean. Once they were out she slowed to what felt like a waddle, groaning softly. “I can’t remember the last time I ate that much. How was that just your leftovers?”

    “You should have seen what we started with,” Dean chuckled, grinning as he grasped her hand and pulled her towards the sidewalk. “Come on, we’ll walk it off.”

    “I’m not sure I can.”

    Rather than argue with her, Dean let go of her hand and sank into a half crouch. “Hop on.”

    “What?”

    “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

    “Are you sure?” she asked wearily, eyeing the street. There was still no small amount of people out and about.

    “We’ll head that way, we can go for a run,” the Alpha offered, jerking his chin down the street.

    About six houses down was a wide gate that lead to what remained of their territory, undeveloped for them to run on without stepping on any toes. Jade worried her lip, then shuffled forward a bit. The moment she was close enough, she found herself hoisted off her feet. An involuntary squeak left her lips as she rose into the air, throwing her arms around Dean’s neck, hurridly locking her legs around his waist. Hands hooked under her knees to support her, a chuckle rumbling in the Alpha’s chest.

    “Are you sure about this?” Jade squeaked.

    “Totally. What, don’t you trust me?”

    “I trust you.”

    “Good.”

    “I’m not too heavy?”

    Dean snorted. “You’re kidding right?”

    Fully aware they were earning some looks, for all Dean was carrying her down the sidewalk like she was made of feathers, Jade buried her face in the neck of his coat, shivering. A chilled wind was blowing, and while it hadn’t snowed yet it was forecasted to within the next week or so. She’d warmed up in the house, but out here her thin coat was precious little protection. In truth she very much liked being carried by him, liked feeling muscles move and flex under her whole body, liked feeling the casual strength being used to carry her, liked feeling the heat rolling off him and soaking into her, liked being able to bury her face in his neck. Warm and safe and Alpha and _Dean._

    “Is that the only coat you’ve got?”

    Jade nodded against his neck.

    “Don’t she have any thicker hand-me-downs?” Dean grouched.

    “Nothing that’ll fit me now.” She had to layer a lot during the winter months, sometimes wearing as many as four shirts and sweaters under the denim jacket she currently had buttoned up. More recently, she had a feeling Mindy was deliberately not giving up her warmer coats simply so Jade wouldn’t have them. She had flannel sheets on her bed year-round, they knew very well that Omegas didn’t retain heat like Alphas or even Betas, particularly ones who were regularly underfed and had little body fat to compensate.

    “Why won’t you let anyone get you anything better?”

    “You know why.”

    “Don’t mean I have to like it.”

    “I know.”

    Dean sighed, striding along down the street. He muttered three words, low enough Jade almost missed them. As it was she doubted they were for her ears, so she pretended she hadn’t anyway. A soft, bitterly uttered, “I hate this.” She knew what he meant, and in all honesty her sentiment was the same.

    They’d gone through the gate and were almost to the tree line when he spoke up again, asking abruptly, “What if you came with us?”

    Jade lifted her head, frowning. “Haven’t we been over this?”

    “I’m serious,” he protested. “The Shifter Council’s got outposts in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Denver. Hell, if you want we can go to the one in DC. They’d give you asylum, if you want to keep things fully legal we’ve got awesome lawyers who’d kick anybody’s ass out of court. Just ask and I’ll do it, _we’ll_ do it.”

    “Why?” Jade pleaded. “I get why you’d do it, but how are you so sure everyone else will?”

    “Is it really so hard to believe people can like you? Care about you?”

    Jade didn’t answer, and a short, angry growl came from the Alpha’s throat.

    “I don’t think you realize just how abnormal your damn pack really is. Here’s the thing, we look after our own. Wolves have this habit of adopting people they care about, I would have thought the Tran’s would have proved this before we got here. Regardless of what happens between you and me, you’re pack, like it or not.”

    “I do like it.”

    “Then act like it. Pack helps each other, supports each other. You need a lot of both.”

    Jade nudged his collar down, making him start as she rubbed her icy nose against the back of his neck. “We’ve already turned over all the rocks. All that would do is forestall the inevitable, and make him mad when I eventually get there. Just let me enjoy this. Please?”

    Dean dropped her legs, and the Omega reluctantly dropped down off his back. He turned around, fishing something out of his pocket and pressing it into her hand. Jade frowned down at it, looking down at the key in her palm.

    “What’s this for?”

    “Our place.”

    “I can’t take this,” Jade protested hurridly.

    “It’s not marked, after it’s on you it won’t have our scent. They’re not allowed on our territory, this way you’ve got an out even if we ain’t here. If it makes you feel better, you can give it back before….”

    Jade nodded slowly, pocketing the key. When she looked up again, it was to have a big, wet nose thrust into her face. She shrieked in protest, shoving Dean’s big head away. Unoffended, the oversized wolf danced back and dropped into a playful position, tossing their head, tail waving. Sighing quietly, smiling despite herself, Jade let her own wolf step forward.

    It had been interesting, watching her wolf’s personality develop alongside her own. When they were finally allowed to run without fear, alongside a pack that brought a sense of companionship rather than intimidation. This personality turned out to be friendly, a little fussy, remarkably patient, and a touch aloof when handling a certain overzealous Alpha.

    As she minced forward through chilled grass, Dean’s wolf bounded in a circle around her, then darted in to give her cheek a lick. The Omega snapped halfheartedly at the gesture, then huffed when this resulted in an overly chastised puppy. She trotted towards the trees, tossing her head and yipping invitingly. Ears pricking, the chastised look fell away in favor of a brisk trot, Dean falling in step next to her.

    They loped along, side by side, her wolf acutely aware of the furry mass at her side throwing off heat like a steam train. If Jade was completely ruled by instinct she would already be on the road to Denver, her wolf very much liked the idea of getting away and, better yet, securing a real chance at having _this_ Alpha for a mate. Jade had a feeling her wolf had known how they felt about Dean even before she did.

    They ran for a while, then reluctantly circled back to the gate they’d come in through. Though not before Dean draped his long coat around her, then used his grip on the lapels to pull her in for a kiss. A kiss that turned into two, then three, hands settling on her hips, pulling them flush together. She still felt as though she was fumbling a bit, but this kissing business was truly enjoyable.

    Eventually they only parted when Kevin came to get her, reminding her she had to be back in time to bake a pineapple upside-down cake Mindy had requested. Never before had Jade loathed one of their backhanded traditions so much. Between Christmas and New Year’s each of them, meaning her siblings and parents, chose a dessert to be consumed in the interim. Naturally Jade was the one to make it all, with the help of _Nai-Nai_.

    “Gonna miss you, Angel,” Dean murmured against her lips.

    “Miss you too,” she whispered breathlessly.

    “Not gonna be back ‘till January. He’s got my number, call it if you need anything.”

    “Dean,” she mumbled in protest.

    “Promise me, or I ain’t letting you go.”

    Jade smiled tightly, but whispered, “Promise.”

    Only then, and with great reluctance, did Dean release her. Jade hurried through the gate and to the street, where Kevin was waiting in his car, affording them some degree of privacy. She didn’t look back, knowing leaving would be almost impossible if she did. Even if it meant she could feel her heart start to break.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to BrokenWings0712, Karategrl80, and seulesaffie!

    What days remained of their break Jade spent much as she had others, keeping her head down or wandering the town. She got in a lot of walking that way. Once she’d managed to walk all the way to the other end of Lawrence and back again, and they hadn’t even noticed she was gone. As much as this sort of thing upset Dean, she preferred it that way. The more they ignored her, the better. Whatever problems it might cause, it was far more bearable than what would happen when they didn’t. Honestly the most surprising thing that happened was it snowed three days after Dean and the others left, leaving them with ice and a thin layer of slush everywhere.

    School was set to start back on Tuesday, but on the previous Friday a text went out. Jade had to fish her mostly dead phone out from the bottom of her backpack, plugging it into a charger before flipping it open. A frown knit her brow as she scanned the text, trying to recognize the number. If anyone had her number she’d have theirs in her contacts, there shouldn’t be anything from unknown numbers. But then Mr. Henriksen, the social studies teacher and adult in charge of their mathletes, had mentioned he’d be getting a new phone over the holidays. Maybe it was his?

    That would certainly explain the message, which Jade had very much hoped not to get. ‘All of you who are still in town need to meet me at the auditorium today at 1:00. Funding may be cut to the team next year and we need to discuss how to deal with it.’ Yes, she’d known this might be an issue. Despite constant, supposed increases in education funding public schools were constantly floundering. Theirs had numerous programs, and needed to enact fundraising on a painfully regular basis to maintain them as it was. Even making it to state, as they did, wasn’t a guarantee of safety. Not when the school also had things like a football team to pamper.

    Her parents accepted the excuse of extra mathletes practice, letting her go without a second glance. They’d been planning to go out to eat tonight anyway, which she wouldn’t have been allowed to attend, so they wouldn’t care when or if she got back. It might be unusual, and Jade herself might be suspicious, but this was an issue they’d been worrying about for a while. She might not care much, she was a senior with a fast-running clock, but she wanted the team to still be there after she left. How many others were like her, who wanted to find a nitch to finally excel in? To feel the surge of triumph as they trounced their opponents in something besides the more socially acceptable physical sports?

    At this point the only one still in the area was Kevin, who was going to dinner and some show in town with his mom today. Meg and the others wouldn’t be back until over the weekend, something she still mourned. It would have been nice to spend more time with them. With Dean.

    In the end Jade opted to run. Her fur was warmer than her coat, and the activity would help. She carried her bag in her mouth, supplies she’d need if they were to brainstorm and start getting things set up. Before she left she did let her phone get up to thirty percent charge, having already texted Tessa and Kevin to let him know what was happening but not heard back.

    Jade circled around the school, though it didn’t escape her attention the parking lot was mostly empty. Was she the first one here? The team wasn’t huge but surely not _everyone_ was out of town, were they?

    The Omega shifted back to two legs, shouldering her slightly slippery backpack and making her way towards the auditorium through thin slush. Her concern eased a bit as the door swung open easily when she pulled. The lights were on inside, and more importantly, the heat. She blew on her hands, rubbing them together as she wandered down the hall, towards the auditorium that made up a majority of the building. Her nose wrinkled as she neared the open door, picking up on Alistair’s scent. Great. He was never on time for anything, never mind early.

    Two steps away from the door, Jade froze. It wasn’t just his scent she was picking up on, there were others. The ones he was often hanging around with. The ones with scents that filled her nose when she was pushed into walls and doorways. When she stopped walking, she caught the faintest shuffle of feet on the short, ancient auditorium carpet.

    For the first time in weeks, Jade’s instincts screamed _‘Run!’_ and she listened. In a heartbeat she pivoted, sprinting back towards the exit doors. Immediately after she heard several shouts, multiple sets of pounding feet giving chase. Oh gods, they’d been waiting just inside the doors, ready to grab her.

    She burst out of the auditorium doors, but made it barely two strides before a hand grabbed her by the collar of her coat. A short, sharp scream was yanked from her throat as she was jerked back inside, feet actually leaving the ground as she fell into a mess of Alpha scent strong enough to make her gag. This wasn’t the warm-and-fuzzy inducing musk she enjoyed with Dean, or the pleasantly tolerable scent that was the other Alpha members of his pack. Sam, Cas, Benny, Adam, John. Even they had some degree of safe about them.

    What she was yanked into made terror shoot up her spine, her throat going tight. They were touching her, she _hated_ it when they touched her. Worse, they were laughing. Alistair’s grinning visage, upside-down, filled her vision briefly before she was tossed to someone else. Back and forth they shoved her, like a staggering sack of potatoes before thrusting her back into Alistair’s grip. His hands clamped down over her arms, tight enough to bruise, leaning in to blatantly sniff her neck.

    “Get off me!” Jade blurted, twisting in his grip.

    She had the brief pleasure of seeing surprise flicker in his eyes before it was replaced by smug delight. “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a good fight out of you. I guess something good came of you hanging around that damn pack after all.”

    All this was bad enough, her mind racing, but it came to a screeching halt as the human leaned down and _licked_ her. She jerked away, or tried to, a revolted sound in her throat as a line of saliva was left from jaw to temple. This just made his friends snicker, and when Alistair pulled away he was grinning broadly.

    “You taste good. I’ll bet you’ll _be_ good.”

    This didn’t make sense to her, but as if she needed further proof she wouldn’t like it the circle around them laughed. Not a snicker, not a chuckle, an outright laugh from each of them as if this was hilarious. Jade glanced around hurridly, panic making it hard to focus. There were six of them including Alistair, mostly Alphas, two Betas, all human. His grip wasn’t as iron as a Shifter’s would be, but he was still an Alpha, she an Omega.

    She was scrambling, trying desperately to remember what Dean had taught her and which would be best here, fingers searching desperately for a pressure point, when she noticed it. At first she couldn’t make sense of it, not understanding why it would be here, but when it clicked the surge of terror that hit her almost made her vomit. Arousal, these sick humans were turned on by this, what they were about to do. Lots of people had done lots of things to her over the years, but not _that._ They’d done everything but _that._

    Jade’s jaw fell open and she _screamed._ Long and loud and shrill. Enough to make Alistair cringe, before he gave her a leering smile. “Go ahead, no one will hear you. Besides, it’s more fun when you- “

    He was cut off as she slammed her forehead forward into his face, feeling a momentary surge of satisfaction as his nose crunched. If she hadn’t broken it, at the very least she’d cracked cartilage. But then her moment of surprise was gone, and she felt her own bones protest as he tightened his hold, giving her a rough shake.

    “Bitch! Stupid whore, it won’t do you any good. There’s six of us, and one of you. Ever hear of a gangbang before, you little freak?”

    Unfortunately that was one definition she was aware of. Jade strained desperately at his arms, fingers scrabbling desperately for purchase, a pressure point, anything. It did her no good, not in this position. Then it felt like all six were on her at once, flinging her bag out of the way and yanking at her jacket. Someone ripped it off, and while this did free her arms briefly they kept enough hands on her going anywhere was impossible. Hands that gripped cruelly tight, stroked or prodded at places that made her recoil, one even grabbed at her ass. Cloth ripped as they tore at her layers, more than one shirt tearing as they yanked at them, and she distinctly heard her belt snap. Someone managed to get their hand down her pants, rough, icy fingers grasping at bare skin, another was the first to get through her layers and grabbed her breast, giving it a painfully tight squeeze.

    She was struggling as wildly as she was able, panic making her choke, a strangled cry in her throat, when a _roar_ echoed through the hallway. It was neither human nor beast, and it froze the humans in their tracks. Jade was unceremoniously dropped to the floor as two of them were yanked off their feet, thrown into painted cinderblock walls. She distinctly heard bones crack.

    At first she was afraid to move a muscle, holding perfectly still in her half naked, huddled position on the floor. Her own wolf, which had been an inch away from breaking free and damn the consequences, was cowed by the sound. Shifting with people in such close courters could be risky, even deadly, and killing humans bore serious consequences. But while they didn’t recognize that sound they knew enough to realize it was a predator and it was to be avoided.

    When ominous squishing began to accompany the screaming, Jade dared a peek up. She was just in time to have a human Alpha go flying over her head, tumbling down the hall, screaming all the way. Three more lay unmoving, a few limbs pointing in odd directions, blood seeping through gashes and ripped clothes. As Jade watched, a quasi-human with blazing crimson eyes and claw-tipped hands slammed two Alphas down on the floor in the same move, digging curved talons into their chests. It was slow, making both humans scream and thrash wildly as blood pooled around the slowly penetrating wounds.

    “How the fuck did you get here?” Alistair snarled, struggling to his feet.

    It was a mistake. His compatriots were abandoned as their assailant slowly raised their head, visage barely recognizable as it was twisted in pure rage. A growl more at home in the throat of a wolf than a human echoed through the hall as they slowly straightened, stalking towards Alistair. In that moment, there was no technique to their attack, no strategy, no finesse. It was simply one Alpha lunging for the throat of another and slamming him to the ground, bashing their head against the floor, drilling blow after blow into an already unresponsive body.

    Jade had never seen something so…no, that was a lie. She’d been on the receiving end of plenty of brutality over the years. But maybe that was why she didn’t like seeing it in the first place.

    Swallowing thickly, she croaked, “Dean?”

    There was a pause, but only that before the beating resumed.

    Making herself muster a little more volume, the Omega repeated, “Dean?”

    Again the Alpha paused. This time his head lifted, glowing eyes locking onto her. She took it as a good sign her wolf didn’t feel the need to cower.

    “Come here. Please?”

    Slowly, blood still falling in droplets from his clawed fingers, Dean drew himself upright. He stalked down the hallway, treading on fallen foes as he went, coming to kneel by her. As soon as he was close enough Jade lurched up, throwing both arms around his neck and dragging him down. Or at least that was her intent, but the result was her dragging herself up to his level. Jade tangled a hand in his hair, shoving his face into her scent glands.

    “Don’t kill them. Please? They’re not worth it,” she whispered

    “Do you know what they tried to do?” The growled demand was rasped into her neck. He still sounded more animal than human, trembling fingers still tipped in claws.

    “I do,” she whispered. “But they’re human. They are not worth the trouble killing them would bring down.”

    Dean still didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t loosen her hold. She was still down to what remained of her layers, most of which was ripped and hanging off her at odd angles, though when she shivered the Alpha’s arms wrapped around her. Jade closed her eyes, sucking in a shaky breath before she began to sing.

    On a whim she started with ‘Silent Night’, then her _Nai-Nai’_ s lullaby, then ‘Carry On My Wayward Son’. That last one wasn’t in her normal repertoire, but she’d heard it enough on Baby’s radio to be able to croon the lyrics by now, and she was hoping the familiarity might calm him down faster.

    Whether it was her voice or her song choice, she felt the tension slowly easing from the Alpha. He was still on edge, but he wasn’t a statue a hair’s breath away from drawing more blood. Jade was trying to work out what to do next when Dean shifted his weight, freeing one arm to reach back. She froze, watching as he felt around the nearest moaning human and fished around his pockets. A moment later he drew out a phone, lifting it up long enough to dial 9-1-1 before tossing it aside. He pulled away, but only to shrug off his own coat, wrapping it around her before gathering her up again.

    Without a single word, fingers still covered in blood, Dean grabbed what remained of her clothes and shoved them into her hands and snatched up her bag as he bundled her towards the door. Her legs buckled halfway there, and without breaking stride he swept her up bridle style and shouldered through the door. Jade shivered at the gust of cold air, turning her face into his neck as she was carried out. She was vaguely aware she was being taken to the side of the road, not the parking lot, but was hardly going to comment on it.

    Dean bundled her into the Impala’s front seat, slamming the door and stalking around the hood. Once behind the wheel he peeled out, eyes still glittering red, jaw tight. His hands had returned to normal, for all they were still bloodstained. That was something, right?

    Jade didn’t realize she was shivering until he flicked on the heat, blasting it on her. It didn’t do much good, for all she was indeed chilled it wasn’t cold making her shake. Wasn’t the temperature or lack of shelter getting to her. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever been more revolted or more terrified in her life, even when they’d hunted her, made her think she was about to be torn limb from limb. That one thing, besides her life, had been too important for them to risk. In her mother’s words, no one wanted a tainted whore.

    She lifted her head when Baby lurched into park, blinking rapidly through tears she hadn’t noticed until then at the house. Dean’s house. She couldn’t bring herself to be surprised.

    Still silent, the Alpha got out and went to unlock the front door, then came back to carry her inside. When Jade tried to protest he just growled at her, but it was more of an irritated sound rather than one of aggression. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t for him to send her into the master bedroom. He scrubbed his hands clean of blood, then set out some sweats from Mary’s dresser before pushing her into the master bathroom and shutting the door.

    Jade might have protested, but right then the idea of a shower was too much to pass up. She turned the water as hot as she could stand, scrubbing herself down three times, until her skin was red from the combination. She helped herself to what she guessed to be Mary’s shampoo and conditioner too, lathering up her hair just as thoroughly. It held scents worse than her skin. Even so, she only got out for fear of using all their hot water. The rank scent of those Alphas was gone, but she could still _feel_ their hands.

    The clothes Dean had left out consisted of fleece, drawstring pants and an old Maryland University hoodie that went clear to her knees, even a pair of fuzzy woolen socks. Steam followed her out when she shuffled back out into the house, making her way to the kitchen. When the Omega peeked in she found Dean, hair wet, jaw tight as he slammed things around. She flinched when a pot was dropped particularly loudly back onto the stove, catching Dean’s attention.

    “Sorry,” he grunted, a regretful look flickering over his face.

    He stopped slamming things after that, motioning to a bar stool as he stirred a skillet full of what her nose told her was cheese sauce. Homemade macaroni? That’s what it looked like, but she’d never known anyone to make it from scratch before.

    Jade perched on the stool, arms folded tightly over her middle, damp hair falling over her face as she watched him stir in the freshly boiled noodles. It wasn’t until he was pouring some of the mixture onto a large plate that she noted in a quiet voice, “You’re home early.”

    Dean glanced at her, setting the plate in front of her. “I wasn’t far out when Kevin called me. No one else got anything from that teacher. I was closer.” Jaw muscles flexing, he added in a low voice, “Should have been faster.”

    She opened her mouth, but the words only lodged in her throat, so she closed it again. Instead, before he could move too far away, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down enough for her to throw her arms around his neck. He didn’t pull away, instead wrapping his own arms around her in turn, holding her just as tight.

    “Thank you,” she whispered, voice breaking. “For everything. You keep…keep saving me.”

    For a long minute he didn’t say anything, just held her. When he did pull away, it wasn’t far. Gentle fingers brushed her hair from her face, eyes holding more sorrow that she’d thought possible. “Should ‘a let me kill ‘em, Angel.”

    Jade managed a wobbly smile. “I know. But they’re humans. If you’re going to prison it should be for something better than scum, don’t you think?”

    His lips did twitch in a brief smile before he sobered again. “Fine,” he sighed. “I still regret it. Are you…gonna be okay?”

    She bit her lip, then tightened her hold and buried her face in his neck again. “Can I…can I stay here, for a while? Please?”

    “You can stay as long as you want,” the Alpha promised roughly, stroking her hair.

    At some point, as she inhaled lungful after lungful of Dean’s scent, wrapped in warmth and comfort and safety, it hit Jade what she wanted. Really wanted. Now more than ever.

    “I can still _feel_ them,” she whispered. “I just want to feel _you.”_

    Dean hesitated, then pulled away again so he could look into her face. “They didn’t…they never got the chance to do anything, did they?”

    Jade shook her head, angrily rubbing away a stray tear that had dripped free.

    “Are you sure you wanna do that now? If you want to wait- “

    “I’ve never been more sure. Dean, please, I…I thought they were going to…I can’t bear the thought of it being anyone but you.”

    Tender fingers stroked her cheek, wiping away stray dampness, then stroked through her hair. “This ain’t about just me, understand? It’s both of us. You especially, right now.”

    “I don’t think I care anymore,” Jade admitted, giving him a watery smile.

    “You should. You’ve got every right to.” He kissed her tenderly, murmuring, “If you change your mind, if you don’t like what I’m doing, if you want things to slow down or stop or anything at any point, you tell me. Okay?”

    Jade nodded, but he pulled back when she tried to kiss him again.

    “No, say it.”

    “Okay.”

    “To what?”

    “If I change my mind about anything, or I don’t like something, or if I want you to slow down, I tell you.”

    Apparently satisfied, Dean bent to kiss her again. Jade eagerly returned it, the contrast between him and _them_ beyond stark. She delighted in his touch, his scent, his warmth, even his taste. Strong hands ran down her sides, brushing over her hips and curling under her thighs, lifting her off the stool. For a moment she fumbled, clinging to his shoulders and hooking her legs tightly around his waist.

    The Alpha chuckled, nuzzling her neck as she gasped for air. “Easy, Angel. I got you.”

    “I know,” she panted. Running both hands up his face, trusting his hold, she pulled him into another kiss. Something she’d rarely done on her own.

    A very pleased-sounding rumble thrummed in his chest as Dean began making his way towards the stairs. Jade pulled away as they started up the stairs, glancing around a bit wildly. “Aren’t I too heavy?” she protested, pitch raising a bit.

    “You’re joking, right?”

    “Or awkward or something?”

    “Nope.”

    Even so, she still clung tightly to him until they reached his room and she was gently deposited on his bed. He was barefoot, only wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt, and she hadn’t bothered putting on underwear she had intended to put through at least two bleach cycles. The Omega scooted a bit higher on the bed, mouth watering a little as he peeled his shirt over his head, letting it fall aside.

    “Um, why were you coming back early again?” she asked, knees drawing up instinctively.

    “Wanted to see you,” he said simply, joining her on the bed. He crawled forward, bracing a hand by her hip, free hand cupping the back of her neck as he kissed her softly. “Missed you too much. Didn’t think it was possible, but I did. You still okay?”

    When she nodded, he gently pushed her knees down. Jade complied, feeling heat flare in both her face and her groin as they splayed to either side of him. Every fiber of her being was acutely aware of the fact she had an Alpha currently between her thighs, but since it was Dean this was also a very good thing.

    “May I take this off?” he murmured, tugging at the hoodie.

    “Um, should we turn-turn off the, um, lights?” The blinds were open, and while it was overcast there was still a good deal of light coming in. Thankfully they were facing the street, and the house across it was only one story, no chance of anyone seeing in.

    Dean raised his eyebrows. “No. I want to see you. Don’t you want to see me?”

    This made her face even hotter, but…she did. Despite Charlie’s assurances she still felt it made her a pervert, but gods help her she wanted to see. See, touch, taste, everything.

    When she nodded, he asked again in that gentle tone, “May I take off your shirt?”

    Another nod, and he kissed her tenderly before slowly lifting the hem. The air was cool, but hardly cold as it hit newly bared skin. Damp hair fell down her back as he got the thick fabric clear of her head, tossing it aside. She folded her arms, feeling very self-conscious, only to have hot hands catch her wrists and pull them away.

    Equally hot lips pressed to her collar bone, making her shiver. “Beautiful,” he murmured. “Beautiful, Angel.”

    Jade gulped, face feeling oddly hot, managing a weak, “Don’t feel like you have to say that.”

    “I’m serious as a heart attack, babe,” the Alpha chuckled.

    Any further protests she might have managed were cut off in a squeak as a warm palm cupped her left breast. Sparks shot up her spine, right before an entire sparkler seemingly went off as his thumb brushed her nipple. His lips, which were pressed to her jugular, curled into a smile when her breath caught.

    “Feel good?” he murmured.

    “Yes,” she breathed.

    “Want more?”

    “Uh-huh.”

    Whatever she was expecting, it wasn’t for the sensation of something intense enough to make her gasp and her back arch. Jade’s gaze jerked down, and her eyes widened. “Did you just lick me?” she managed.

    “Is that a complaint?”

    “No, but…should it be?”

    “Did it hurt?”

    “No.”

    “Did it just surprise you?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Want me to do it again?”

    “Yes, please,” she whimpered.

    “As you wish, Angel.”

    That time, he didn’t just lick her nipple, he put his whole mouth on her. One hand fisted in the sheets as she bit her lip, moaning at the sensation. He was taking his sweet time, mouthing, licking, stroking. His free hand continued to stroke and gently knead her opposite breast, and after a minute he switched over.

    Jade wasn’t aware she was being lowered onto her back until her head hit a pillow, wide eyes blinking up at the ceiling as he began trailing slow, openmouthed kisses down her sternum. “Should I…want me to return the favor?” she asked uncertainly. Dear gods since when was her navel so sensitive?

    “Not right now. Right now it’s all about you.”

    “You sure?”

    Dean huffed, hot breath hitting her belly. “Damn right I’m sure. Just sit back and relax, Angel. Let me make you feel good.” Sitting back a little, he hooked a finger in the waistband of her borrowed pants and asked, “May I take these off?”

    She nodded, managing a weak, “Yes.”

    “Are _you_ sure?” he asked, a trace of amusement in his tone as he raised his eyebrows.

    “Just take them off,” she huffed.

    He smiled a little, and bent to kiss her belly before sliding the waistband down her hips. Soft fabric was drawn down her thighs, then her knees, then her calves, until they cleared her feet. Jade bit her lip, thighs drawing together as much as the Alpha between them would allow.

    “Hey, hey, don’t look like that,” Dean murmured, tipping her chin up and brushing his lips against hers. “You’re beautiful. Gorgeous. Don’t let nobody tell you otherwise.”

    Jade didn’t entirely believe him, but decided not to dwell on it. For now she was with Dean, who seemed very sincere, and that was all that mattered. So she settled back on her elbows, eyes going a bit wide as he took a moment to shuck his own jeans before turning a grin on her.

    “Now we’re even,” he said, resettling himself between her thighs.

    She couldn’t help but stare. A highly toned abdomen led to narrow hips and thighs corded with muscle. The glimpse she’d gotten of his buttocks were much the same. More importantly, she’d gotten a very good look at his…equipment. Honestly she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but at the very least she hadn’t expected him to be so hard. She had no notion of such things herself, but if it was that hard would it hurt? Or was it just uncomfortable, like now when she was no doubt producing a lot of slick? The thing bounced against his belly, the tip wet, but he ignored it like it wasn’t there, returning to his stomach between her legs.

    “Shouldn’t you be a bit…higher?” she asked uncertainly, frowning down at him. His shoulders were nearly to her knees, putting his face about where she thought his penis was meant to be.

    “Not for what I have in mind.”

    “What’s that?”

    Dean seemed to hesitate a moment, then said carefully, “The first time can be a little painful. It varies sometimes, but it’ll do wonders if you’re…relaxed.”

    “I’m relaxed,” she protested.

    The deadpan look this earned her made it clear he wasn’t any more convinced than she was.

    “Well, I will be if you keep doing what you’re doing.”

    Dean was already shaking his head. “No, I mean relaxed all over. _Really_ relaxed.”

    “Yeah,” she said uncertainly.

    Smiling wryly, he finally said, “It’ll help best if you have a few orgasms first.”

    A somewhat strangled, “Oh”, was all she could manage. After gulping down a fresh bundle of nerves she got out, “I can have more than one?”

    A grin that was somewhere between amusement and lecherous split Dean’s face. “Oh, Angel, you can have a lot more than one. It’s gonna be fun seeing how high I can take you. Ready for round one?”

    “You never did say what you’re doing down there.”

    “Ever hear of oral sex?”

    “You mean a blowjob?”

    “Yeah, but the other way around.”

    Jade blinked owlishly at him, feeling the finally abated heat in her face return in full. “You mean…you’d be using your mouth on me?”

    “That’s the idea.”

    “That…it feels good?”

    “I’ll be shooting for something better than just ‘good’.”

    “…oh…..”

    “If you want me to stop, tell me and I’ll stop,” he reminded her gently.

    “Okay.”

    “Is it okay if I start now?”

    She nodded, laying back down and staring directly at the ceiling.

    It occurred to Jade, as she tried very hard not to think about where his face was going, that they had just had what could almost be called a normal conversation despite the fact they were both naked. Naked and highly aroused. Another gross inaccuracy on her mother’s part, apparently. It seemed an Alpha was _not,_ in fact, rendered incapable of rational thought and self-control until their needs were sated.

    The Omega had just grasped this revelation when she almost bolted upright. She managed to stay put, barely, tangling her fingers in the sheets as her breath hitched. Oh gods this was happening, he was touching her. What felt like a thumb had gently brushed against her labia, then lightly tugged it to the side. What was he doing, having a look around?

    Jade had no sooner wandered about this than something hot and soft and wet brushed all the way up…everything. She jerked upright with a breathless half-yelp, eyes wide. Dean lifted his head, raising his eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”

    “Did you just….down there?”

    “Why do you keep saying ‘down there’?”

    “Because it’s my understanding technical terms kill the mood and that’s all I’m willing to call it.”

    “You don’t like the word ‘pussy’?”

    “Only in reference to a cat.”

    Dean gave a bark of laughter, shaking his head. “But you’ve got such a pretty pussy.”

    The look on her face just made him laugh again.

    “It’s true, babe. You know what? Hang on a second.”

    “Where’re you going?” she protested, sitting upright as he climbed off the bed. Despite her initial discomfort, the bed now felt very empty without him. Particularly the large space between her legs.

    “I’m gonna show you,” he called over his shoulder, stepping into the hallway.

    _“What?”_

    He didn’t answer until he came back, at which point Jade’s eyes dropped to the handheld bathroom mirror he carried. As Dean rejoined her, he positioned himself at her back, stuffing pillows behind himself and wrapping an arm around her chest, pulling them both back into a lounging position. This wedged his erection against the small of her back, which she felt should be far more uncomfortable for him than it was her. This was odd enough, but then he pressed the mirror’s handle into her left hand, positioning it between her legs. When she balked, he hooked his calves over hers and gently tugged them apart, allowing enough room to settle the mirror between her thighs.

    Lips pressed to her ear, he murmured, “Can you see?”

    “See what?”

    “You know what.”

    Reluctantly Jade adjusted the angle a bit, then said, “Yeah.”

    He released his grip on her hand, letting her hold the mirror on her own in favor of wrapping his arm back around her waist, his right hand settling on her thigh. “Ever touch yourself before?”

    “Why?”

    “You know it’s normal, right?” he reassured her.

    “It’s…new information,” she admitted carefully.

    “It helps me make you feel good if you already know what makes you feel good.” Laying his right hand over hers, he guided her digits down to her parted slit. Everything was covered in wet looking slick, and to her dismay was getting on the bed.

    “I’m making a mess,” she blurted in dismay, trying to lift herself up.

    “Shhh, easy, Angel, easy,” Dean soothed, holding her in place with his left arm and stroking her hair. “Shh, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing, easy cleanup. Focus on the moment, alright?”

    Resolving to doing the cleanup herself, Jade settled back down, focusing again on what she was seeing in the mirror. Again he took her hand, guiding her fingers, stroking her clit, sending a jolt of sparks through her groin.

    “Feel good?” he murmured.

    “Yeah,” she breathed.

    “Keep going.”

    Once she got started it was oddly easy to continue, particularly since it was Dean coaxing her onward. After a few minutes of her tentatively stroking and rubbing, learning what felt good and what felt best, his larger, rougher digits joined hers. Somehow the calluses on his fingers didn’t just not hurt, they actually managed to stimulate her more. Was that right? Oh gods who cared when they were doing that wonderful stroking-circling thing around her clit.

    She’d already given in to a series of moans and mewls, but when she whimpered anew at his touch she felt as much as heard Dean groan at her back. Fingers caught her chin, lifting and turning her face for a sloppy but very enjoyable kiss. It was messy and wet and both of them were moaning but Jade couldn’t bring herself to regret it.

    Shortly after, she felt that same odd pressure start to grow in her groin. It spooked her enough to blurt, “Stop!”

    In a heartbeat Dean’s hands disappeared and he sat up straighter, twisting a little to peer worriedly into her face. “What? What’s wrong?”

    “I…something’s happening. It started before, but it stopped when I did.”

    At first all she saw was confusion, gears obviously churning, before understanding crossed his face. “Wait, is it like pressure? Like things are getting tight?”

    She bit her lip, nodding.

    “Did it go away just now?”

    Another nod.

    “Damn. You want that feeling, okay?”

    “Why?” she protested as he resumed their previous position. “What is it?”

    “You’ll see.”

    “But…”

    “Trust me, Angel,” he murmured, kissing her shoulder.

    “I trust you,” she whispered.

    “Eyes on the mirror. Want you to see this.”

    “See what?”

    He didn’t say, just resumed what he’d been doing, making her whimper softly. It didn’t take long for that pressure to come back, but she didn’t stop him this time. He seemed to think it was good, and Dean was likely the only person she was willing to trust on that completely. She didn’t feel caged in his arms, on his bed, she felt safe, loved.

    That pressure was still building when his thumb took over the work around her clit, slowing down as his middle finger stroked something a little lower. She wasn’t sure what it was, though it did feel good. Then, to her surprise, the digit began to press _inside_ her. He’d found her vagina? Why? Was he going to put something inside her? What about the orgasms he’d mentioned?

    “Dean, what…something, something’s happening,” she panted.

    “I know, Angel. Let it happen. Still feel good?”

    She nodded franticly, free hand digging into his thigh, her hips rocking into his touch.

    “It’s gonna get better, love. Let it build. Watch.”

    “Dean, Dean…. _my gods what is this?”_ she whimpered.

    At her back, Dean groaned. “Shit, didn’t think fucking Chinese could be hot.”

    In that moment, something erupted. Or collapsed, she wasn’t sure. Jade gave a breathless cry, fingers going tight enough on Dean’s leg to draw blood, eyes bulging as her vison nearly whited out. It was pure euphoria, there was no other way to describe it.

    But as wave after wave of that bliss pulsed through her body, originating from her groin, Jade was mortified to see liquid squirt out over their fingers, going over both their hands and the bed, some even making it to the mirror. The muscle-liquifying euphoria, which left her limp and breathless, was quickly corrupted with mortification.

    “Oh gods…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she stammered, panting.

    “Don’t you dare apologize,” Dean rasped. “You’re fucking amazing. Have you seriously never had an orgasm before?”

    “I think I would have remembered.”

    This got her another round of sloppy kissing before Dean informed her, “Squirting isn’t something to apologize for. Hell, I should be thanking you.”

    “Thanking me?” Jade repeated incredulously. “You called it squirting? What are you doing?”

    The last demand was spoken at a louder volume as she watched, horrified. Dean was actually licking his fingers, both her slick and whatever she’d…squirted. She’d never heard of it, Charlie hadn’t mentioned it, but what if it was something less sanitary than whatever her slick was made of?

    “Relax,” he murmured, giving her middle a squeeze. “It’s not pee or anything. It’s just more of whatever the technical term for slick is. You’ve got no idea how awesome squirting is.”

    “Really?” she asked doubtfully.

    “You really need to start trusting me,” he chided, setting the mirror aside.

    As Jade watched, he repositioned them to what they’d been before, herself propped on the newly rearranged pillows with his shoulders between her thighs. Before she could ask any questions or express any doubts, his mouth was on her. She sucked in a sharp breath, eyes rolling back.

    _“Yes, yes, don’t stop,”_ she moaned, tangling a hand in his hair.

    He hummed, lifting his head to rasp, “What?” When she gave a keening whine, he chuckled and muttered, “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

    “How can you possibly be a smartass right now?” she protested, voice more shrill than usual.

    “It’s a gift.”

    “Stop talking,” she groaned. It made it hard to focus on how oddly, incredibly good this felt. For pity’s sake, he was _licking_ her, doing all manner of sinful things with his lips and tongue but there was no way she was going to stop him. She couldn’t, not now. He seemed to be enjoying himself, which she didn’t understand, but she wasn’t inclined to protest.

    It took even less time than before, the buildup of pressure in her groin. When she told him Dean didn’t slow, if anything he got more enthusiastic. By that point the Omega’s legs were hooked around his shoulders, heels digging into his back, hands fisted in one of the pillows behind her head. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, all previous trepidation about her nudity long forgotten. As she felt that edge coming closer, a stream of half Mandarin half English babble trickling through her lips.

    “Dean, Dean it’s happening again… _don’t stop, don’t stop…yes, oh gods please don’t stop….”_

    Her head fell back, back arching, the Alpha’s hands clamping onto her hips to hold her steady as he kept going all through the orgasm. The Omega cried out, the pulses of ecstasy even stronger than they’d been before as they rolled through her. They lasted longer, too, Dean’s tongue stroking her languidly until the aftershocks finally eased.

    Only when Jade fell limp did Dean finally stop, raising his head to gaze up at her. When she looked down at him, she was surprised to see the raw heat in his eyes, there were even a few sparks of red in his iris’s. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened as he bent to kiss her. Long and slow and sweet. It was also a little messy, his chin and swollen lips streaked with slick, she could even taste it on his tongue. She felt this shouldn’t be oddly enjoyable, but it was, and by this point she’d opted to enjoy this moment and damn the consequences.

    “Got a new opinion on oral?” Dean rasped, moving to mouth her scent glands.

    “Yeah,” she breathed, still breathless. “Thank you.”

    The Alpha snorted a laugh, nipping along her shoulder. “You kidding? I should be thanking you on my fucking knees. No idea how awesome you are.”

    She wasn’t entirely sure if it was possible to blush, considering what they were doing, but maybe she was wrong. “I doubt it, but thanks anyway.”

    A brief, rough growl that was more wolf than man rumbled in Dean’s throat, teeth lightly catching the shell of her ear. “Guess I’m gonna have to keep going until you believe me. You squirt when I go down on you, too.”

    “I what?” she squeaked.

    An undoubtedly lecherous grin was his only answer before he moved back down her body again.

    “Again?” she protested.

    “Are you complaining?”

    “No, but….”

    “Then sit back and relax, Angel.”

    Without further ado, he dove right back in. It wasn’t the exact same, though. He’d used his fingers before, but now one began to stroke her vagina as he sucked on her clit. It didn’t feel as good, but nor did it hurt. She’d known something like this would have to happen eventually anyway, so she didn’t protest. He _was_ being gentle, after all. Incredibly so.

    Maybe it was because of what else he was doing, but it occurred to her that even though he was adding a second finger, she wasn’t feeling any pain, or even stretched. It did feel odd, and there seemed to be a point that made her bladder feel full when his fingers put pressure on it, but there was no reason for that and it also felt _very_ good so she didn’t stop him again.

    Jade honestly stopped paying too much attention to the fingers the moment she felt pressure start to build in earnest. A hand tangled in Dean’s hair as her whimpering mantra returned with gusto. She didn’t think it was possible, yet here it came all over again. What was this, the third time? A third orgasm and he wasn’t even inside her yet. Well, not the part of him meant to go inside her.

    “Dean, please…yeah, yeah, _yes, please_ …Dean it’s coming, I’m coming again…..” Her mouth fell open, body quivering as orgasm number three crashed through her. This time she screamed outright. She had no idea how many fingers Dean had inside her, but it felt like they were in up to the knuckle, and she could feel herself constricting around them. She hadn’t anticipated this, that feeling her body cum around something inside her would make the orgasm more intense.

    Dean crawled up her limp body, dipping to kiss her tenderly, nuzzling her scent glands. “Beautiful,” he gasped. “Never thought I’d cum going down on someone before.”

    Talking seemed like a lot, so instead Jade weakly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, turning her face into his neck. She whined softly when he leaned away, only quieting when he shushed her gently, kissing her forehead. She heard a drawer open, a box rattling before he resumed his previous position. The Omega turned her head, blinking lazily, only to have her breath catch when she saw what he’d been getting. Funny enough, she’d actually seen condoms before. She’d found them when checking her brother’s pockets before putting them through the wash.

    Dean sat back, ripping open the foil and making quick work of it. Jade found herself oddly reluctant. Not with the penetration, in fact right now she was actually looking forward to that part.

    “Do you have to?” she asked quietly.

    “I’m clean, but I ain’t risking anything happening with you until you’re ready.”

    “I want to feel you,” she mumbled, disappointed.

    “You will,” he promised, kissing her tenderly. “You won’t even notice it. Ready, Angel?”

    “Please,” she breathed.

    The Alpha kept one eye on her, every movement slow and careful as they hitched her legs around his waist, leaving her as open as possible. He braced a hand just behind her shoulder, using the other to line himself up. Jade returned his slow kiss, but she didn’t realize there might be an alternative reason for this until she _felt_ him. He was far bigger than his fingers, for all she had noticed he’d used all four of them. Bigger, hotter, harder, if that was possible.

    Every movement was slow, careful, for all it was purposeful. The Alpha took her centimeter by centimeter, gradually filling her until she felt her groin tap against his. She was trembling from head to toe by that point, damp lips brushing over hers as she panted raggedly.

    “You okay?” Dean rasped, tone worried for all his eyes were still red-flecked heat.

    “Very,” she whispered, her own voice hoarse. A part of her couldn’t quite believe it. She’d taken him, all of him, and while it did feel a bit uncomfortable, like something of a stretch, there was no pain. Wasn’t there a hymen somewhere that was supposed to be broken? No, Charlie had said not everyone had one, and if they did it wasn’t always sex that broke it. Sometimes even riding a bike could take care of that, but then his fingers had been inside her. Maybe that had done it? She hadn’t seen or smelled any blood. Oh who cared? She had more important things to focus on.

    She’d read a few romance books, courtesy of Anna and Tessa. She’d heard this ‘making love’ business mentioned, both in passing and in some degree of detail. But the real thing? It was…incredible. Though for all she knew they’d been making love from the time he’d carried her to bed. This was different, though. More intimate, limbs intertwined, bodies connected, moving together, faces close enough for all manner of gasping kisses and breathless mouthing over sweat-slickened flesh, rough whispers gasped as they moved together.

    It took longer this time, to reach an orgasm, but she didn’t care. In fact she decided she liked this better. The build was slower, but oh so worth it. Jade was surprised to feel a flicker of disappointment when she finally did feel that familiar build in her groin begin yet again.

    “Dean,” she whimpered, clinging to the Alpha. It was too soon, this couldn’t end now.

    “’S okay, Angel,” Dean rasped, lips brushing against her jaw. “Gonna be okay.”

    His thrusts got more erratic, and Jade gasped as his body shook atop her, a half snarl half shout in his throat. She’d made him cum, too. She’d made Dean Winchester cum. She didn’t realize she hadn’t expected it until it happened. After he’d managed shaky thrusts through his orgasm Jade honestly expected that to be the end of it. But he kept going, arms unsteady as they still supported his weight, keeping him from crushing her.

    “Dean?” she whispered, voice hitching as he thrust into her with renewed vigor.

    “You getting close, Angel?”

    She nodded, and his pace picked up. Within minutes it hit her, the most intense orgasm she’d had yet. Jade’s head fell back as she screamed, vision briefly blacking out, her limbs going limp. When she stirred, Dean was dropping on top of her, turning his face into her scent glands. There was enough of him that he didn’t actually crush her, which was nice, but his weight and heat atop her was doubly nice. When she was sure she could do it without accidentally poking him in the ear or eye, Jade dragged her arms up to cling to the Alpha, who was still inside her. She wished he could stay there for a long, long time.

    Much do her dismay, when Dean stirred mere minutes later the first thing he did was pull out, making her whimper in dismay. The Alpha shushed her gently, swollen limps brushing in a tender kiss as he dragged himself into a semi-upright position. For what it was worth, he didn’t stay gone lone. He took off the condom, tossing it into the small trashcan by his desk before returning to her. He didn’t go back inside her, but they did return to their intertwined position, which was better than nothing.

    Jade had no idea how much such things wore a person out until roughly three seconds before her heavy lids slid closed, her nose turning back into Dean’s scent glands.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    The next thing she knew, Dean was gently shaking her shoulder, coaxing her awake. Jade stirred, groaning softly. She rolled over, and only then did she realize she’d been bundled up in sheets that smelled like Dean.

    “As much as I wish you could stay here and sleep as long as you want, I’m guessing they’ll come after your ass if you take too long. Any idea what time they’ll expect you?”

    Only a very deeply-instilled sense of self-preservation made Jade roll back over, facing Dean. A hand stroked her hair, and she leaned into the touch, almost purring. “They’re not,” she mumbled, opening her eyes to gaze into his face. “Won’t care about me until it’s time for breakfast.”

    “Then let’s not think about that,” Dean stated. He dipped to kiss her so sweetly her toes curled, coaxing her upright and stuffing some pillows behind her back. “Let’s get you something to eat, then we’ll see where we are.”

    The very idea of having to go home made her chest go tight, but she had to. But until then, she decided to enjoy what time she had left. So she let Dean prop her up, then hand feed her what was probably the whole pot of reheated homemade macaroni and cheese. Despite her protests or suggestions they share he insisted she eat, forking cheese-covered noodles into her mouth and passing her a glass of sweet tea to wash it down with.

    When she was done Dean, who had pulled on his jeans when he’d gone to fetch food, rejoined her in bed. For well over an hour she curled up into the Alpha’s arms and they just…talked. No more hanky-panky, for all she was still naked save for his sheets, likely messing them up too. But when she’d made a flimsy attempt at getting up to start washing them she’d been ordered under no certain terms to remain in bed until it was time to go.

    It was nearing ten when she finally, if reluctantly, began the process of leaving. Aside from her panties and bra, very little save for her jacket had survived the assault from Alistair and co. In the end he talked her into barrowing Mary’s pants and one of her thicker sweaters, and despite his insistence to the contrary she fully intended on returning them as soon as she could.

    As much as Jade didn’t want to leave, she had to. Dean even offered to shelter her there for however long she wished, repeating the offer to get her to a branch of the Shifter Council. As much as she wanted to accept…she couldn’t. She loved Dean, but she couldn’t love him if she was dead. It broke her heart to leave him, but she had to.

    In a sort of conciliation ceremony, he took her shredded clothes out to the backyard and put them on the open grill. He drizzled on some lighter fluid, but handed her the matches. For all it reeked, it was incredibly therapeutic, watching the remaining evidence of her attempted rape get consumed by flames. They stood by, watching them, Dean’s arm around her shoulders.

    Dean drove her home after, reluctantly parking a safe block away. He asked again if she was sure she wanted to go back, only letting her go after she insisted she had to. And one more kiss, of course.

    Her parents were apparently down for the night when she slipped through the back door, Mindy lounging in the living room, her brothers nowhere to be found. No one to comment as she slipped downstairs to her own bed. Her own hard, cold, decidedly Dean-free bed. For all today had easily been the best and worst day of her life, she felt more than one tear drip free before she nodded off.

    The next morning she made sure to take a thorough shower before she ran into anyone, reluctantly scrubbing away all traces of Dean’s scent from her skin. She put Mary’s things through the wash, too. No one came near laundry besides _Nai-Nai_ on principle, so she wasn’t worried about them finding the unknown clothes. As she went about her work, dodging idle blows verbal and physical, her chest ached. She didn’t have to wonder if it was a physical ailment, didn’t have to ask _Nai-Nai_ what was wrong. She did, however, develop a renewed hatred for Morningstar and her family as she felt true heartbreak in full force.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to HenriaSownbinder and littleauror!

    Monday morning, she passed off Mary’s clothes to Meg, who didn’t bat an eye as she took the plastic bag. If she or anyone else in the Winchester-Campbell pack were aware of the happenings, they didn’t say as much. It helped that, contrary to what her family insisted, it wasn’t blatantly obvious she was no longer a virgin. They didn’t look at her twice, didn’t notice any significant scent changes, neither did anyone at school. Though the pack that had already, essentially adopted her, seemed even happier to see her that first day back than was normal.

    It actually hurt, seeing Dean again after three whole days of separation. She’d yearned to see him again, eager for school to start just so she could be in the same room with him again. But seeing him and not being able to run to him, to be able to kiss him or even hold his hand made that physical pain bloom anew in her chest. It somehow made it worse that he acted like nothing had happened, for all she was doing the same. They had to. Just kissing him could be a capital offense, but making love with him? Losing her virginity to him? She would be beyond useless in their eyes, she’d be tainted, a whore who’d brought them unfathomable dishonor. From what little she knew of Morningstar he might even decide he didn’t want her anymore, considering his preference for virgins. Though she had a feeling he wasn’t nearly as tender with them as Dean had been with her.

    They were allowed to run their first day back, even though there was a fresh layer of frost on the ground. As those from Dean’s pack gathered for a group run, his wolf visibly perked up when she trotted into the small clearing. This wasn’t unusual, but then he lumbered over to nuzzle her neck, giving one ear a soft lick, a low whine in his throat. Considering he was normally only this affectionate when it was just them, as a precaution, she found it odd, but her wolf didn’t care. Rather than move away, or snap lazily at him, she turned her body to rub up against the tank of a wolf, lifting her head to lick at his muzzle. This seemed to delight the Alpha, a happy rumble in his chest, tail swishing low.

    A grizzly even larger than Dean, at least ten feet at the shoulder, lumbered over. Red eyes regarded them, nose snuffling, a low grunt in his throat. Then Benny bobbed his head first at Dean, then her, then turned to lumber off with a smaller grizzly with green eyes. Jade’s wolf cocked their head, looking after them for a moment, then turned to look up at their Alpha, a questioning sound in their throat. The others were watching, she knew, but a gesture of respect was something new. Benny just treated her as though she was already Dean’s official mate.

    Dean’s wolf only dipped down to rub his oversized head against her shoulder and chest, giving her muzzle another lick before bounding onward. Jade fell into step towards the pack’s middle, as she always did, as was her place. It was where she’d always run before, anyway. But this time the pack didn’t allow it. They jostled and nudged, even snapped at her heels a few times, herding her to the front until she was running at Dean’s flank. Only then did they leave her be, yipping in delight and satisfaction at their new arrangement.

    Jade spent the entire run at the future Pack Alpha’s left flank. Even if the whole pack were to run, this was a position only for his top lieutenants, family…or his mate. To have a place of such honor wasn’t something that had ever crossed her mind, but now that she had it, her wolf delighted in it, preening. Jade herself wasn’t so sure, but…as long as no one else saw, what was the harm?

    Cas swooped low, as was his habit, lingering over his mate, then passing low over Dean before gaining altitude. As he passed Jade, though, he gave what could almost be called a triumphant shriek. Jade watched him climb, fascinated. First Benny, then the pack, now Cas. She doubted Dean would have told them, so maybe they’d picked up on something. Hopefully something the general population would be oblivious to.

    At least Alistair hadn’t ratted them out. Word around school was the cops and EMTs had shown up to find all six of them unconscious and badly battered in the auditorium building. All were in traction, two still hadn’t woken up, and none of them were talking. Excluding the hell that would rain down on Jade should word get out she was in the company of Dean Winchester, it wouldn’t be worth it for them and they had to know it. Yes, a Shifter had done a number on them. But it was an Alpha Shifter defending the Omega they had gone out of their way to try and rape. No court would convict Dean, but they’d have a field day with the humans.

    The run ended far too soon, as they often did. Then they were back to keeping their distance on two legs, ignoring each other as much as was possible. Hour after slow, painful hour. At day’s end she got to go back home, where she was promptly beaten and kicked back out with a grocery list she should have had, even though it had only been written an hour ago. She carefully drove to the store, got everything on the list, and carefully drove back again. They still found something to complain about, of course, but at least they didn’t beat her again. The next morning Sherman came home particularly irritated, after jumping feet-first onto her bed he felt the need to toss her around. She limped more than walked out to Kevin’s car, but was able to hide the bruises well enough until they were gone.

    Kevin had given up saying anything about it years ago, so it was a surprise when, halfway to school, he blurted, “Why are you still there?”

    The abruptness actually made her jump. “What?”

    “You don’t have to stay there, with them. Let Dean take you to the Council, let them help you. You don’t have to keep dealing with this.”

    “It won’t work.”

    “How do you know that?”

    “Because, the agreement signed with Morningstar is ironclad. Other Omegas have tried breaking it before, it won’t work.”

    “How do you know?”

    “You’re the one who helped me do the research. Every case that tries to go against him fails miserably. Assuming my family let me live after pulling something like that I’d still end up with him.”

    “The contract they sighed for you, they need your consent plus parental consent.”

    “It has my thumbprint on it!” Jade snapped. “In my own blood, okay?”

    Kevin stared at her until the car behind him honked. The light was green. He took his foot of the break, glancing at her repeatedly. “Why would you do that? Why haven’t you told me?”

    “They didn’t give me a choice. They told me to sign, I begged them to at least tell me about them first, tell me just their name, anything. So they beat me, then Dad cut my hand and put my thump on the contract. I didn’t want to tell you because…because I let them seal my fate with my own blood.”

    “Have you told Dean?”

    “No.” It was why he kept suggesting they try going to the Shifter Council. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

    “So they have a blood sealed document,” Kevin said slowly. “But the only thing that can trump that is a mating.”

    “I know,” she said quietly.

    “So mate him,” Kevin protested.

    “What? No.”

    “Why not? You love him, he loves you, the pack’s accepted you, what’s the problem?”

    “Because a mating is for life. I don’t want him to do something he might regret later just because I let them do what they did.”

    “You can’t keep beating yourself up for stuff like that,” Kevin protested. “They didn’t give you a choice. You asked for some incredibly reasonable information, and they took it the wrong way. Then they forced you to make a fucking blood seal.”

    Jade stared at him. Kevin didn’t swear much, and when he did it certainly wasn’t anything like that. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen amber sparking in his eyes.

    “Tell Dean.”

    “No.”

    “Why not?”

    “I’ve told you why.”

    “You just gave me a BS answer. That doesn’t count.”

    “It’s the truth.”

    “Like hell it is.”

    “Kevin- “

    “You’re my best friend, you might as well be my sister, don’t lie to me.”

    “I’m ashamed, alright?” Jade snapped. “I’m ashamed I let them mate me off like a brood mare. I’m ashamed I can’t stand up for myself. I’m ashamed I need saving all the damn time. I’m ashamed that I love him but I can’t do anything about it. He deserves someone better, stronger, someone to help him lead a pack, not poor pathetic me.”

    The car was quiet as Kevin slowly pulled into a parking spot, waiting until he’d cut the engine to say slowly, “You’re not pathetic. You’ve had to deal with shit no one else should have to. You bent, but you never broke. I’ve always admired you for that. Now you have an out, a chance at a life you’ve always deserved with an Alpha who adores you and a pack who wants you.”

    “He’s bounced around before. He’ll get bored eventually.”

    “You know that’s not true.”

    Maybe not, but she was hoping. Jade reached for the door, but stopped when Kevin caught her arm. She turned, frowning, surprised to see his face set in grim lines.

    “We know he came back early. I called him to see if you were safe, he said you were, but not what happened. He hasn’t told anyone. We just know he’s pissed as all hell you’re keeping his hands tied.”

    “He’s doing a good job at hiding it,” she muttered.

    “For you. So you’ll make the choice on your own.” Kevin sat back, blowing out a breath and closing his eyes. “I never told you how we got close. The truth is we were friendly, but we only got adopted into the pack six months before Mom and me moved here.”

    “That’s it?”

    “Yeah. You’re…you’re not the first one Dean’s saved from…from Alpha pigs who think they’re entitled to an Omega.”

    Jade stilled, staring at him, but he didn’t open his eyes.

    “Eighth grade. There was this guy, Gordon Walker. I’ll never forget his name, but he probably never learned mine. Him and these two other guys cornered me one day, right after school. I’d never paid much attention to Alphas, I didn’t have time, they were just annoying. I guess Gordon didn’t like being ignored. He was talking about how I thought I was better than them, had my nose in the air all the time, needed to be brought down a peg. They were trying to get my pants off when Dean happened to walk by. I’d never seen an Alpha’s eyes go red when they were human before.” He gave a small, bitter chuckle. “He threw one of them through some lockers. Not into, through. Half of him was hanging out the other side. They had to get the jaws of life to cut him out. The one who’d been holding me down for Gordon got put through the ceiling. I think they found him somewhere on the roof. I’d never seen martial arts in action before, not in real life. I couldn’t even see what all he was doing, he was moving too fast. He took some extra time with Gordon. You know what he did, before he threw him out a window?”

    Jade swallowed dryly, but managed a rough, “Did he kill him?”

    “Better. Stripped him down and ripped his junk off.”

    “He…what?”

    Kevin opened his eyes, smiling. “Yep. Twig and barriers and all. With his bare hands, too. Nothing to make a clean cut, didn’t even put out his claws. I guess it was worse that way, ripping instead of cutting. Just wish Gordon hadn’t gone into shock right after. He got off easy.”

    Jade turned that over. She was surprised to find she agreed. But at the same time, having to go through that pain and live with the results was likely worse than a quick death. Particularly if you had as much pride as Gordon had to of had.

    “I won’t lie, I was kinda freaked out at the time. I mean he still had blood on his hands, but he came over to check on me. Made sure I was alright and brought me to the nurse. I don’t think I’d ever seen an Alpha be…gentle, before. Not when it wasn’t their blood, or their mate. He only left me when my Mom showed up. I think she adopted him before they could adopt us.”

    She managed a smile at that. “Sounds about right.”

    “We only left because Mom had to, for work. They were family, still are. He’s basically my brother. And he loves you. Yeah, okay, so he got around a lot, even then. But I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. You know what? I’ve only seen him look at one thing the way he looks at you.”

    Jade frowned at him. “What?”

    “Pie.”

    She barked out a laugh.

    “I’m serious! That’s the closest I’ve seen, anyway.”

    Jade reached for her door, but hesitated. “Kevin?”

    “Yeah?”

    “Thank you.”

    “You can thank me by taking care of that dorky son of a bitch,” Kevin informed her, shoving his door open.

    She cracked a bitter smile, climbing out of the car. They didn’t discuss it anymore, joining the trickle of teens making their way into school. Even so, she couldn’t help but marvel. Eighth grade would have put Dean at, what, thirteen? At thirteen years old Dean had walked by some random Omega getting assaulted and had jumped in without a second thought. Had apparently gone so far as to castrate the ringleader with his bare hands. According to Kevin he’d been in control for all he’d been pissed, then turned right around and taken care of an Omega he’d never met. It came as a shock, for all it didn’t surprise her. At the same time, Jade found herself comparing it to her own experience. Dean hadn’t been in control by any stretch, he’d gone outright feral. Jade felt a warm sense of prideful pleasure at knowing he would do that for anyone. Then again, he hadn’t just castrated Alistair, he’d been about to kill him. In hindsight Jade did wish she would have allowed him to give them a slow death, but she reluctantly stood by the fact they weren’t worth it. They weren’t worth shit, much less Dean going to jail.

    This was the first day since they’d come back Jade had reason to spend time with Dean. Between the recent holiday and the fresh bout of cold, there weren’t many people at the park. Even so, Jade held herself in check until they’d left the main path and were making their way towards their oak tree before she grabbed his arm. As Dean turned towards her she pulled him down into a kiss, one he eagerly returned.

    “Fuck I missed you,” he rasped, holding her close.

    “Same,” she gasped, clinging to his flannel plaid. He’d given her his coat the moment they were in the Impala, which she had hardly complained about. As it was he was giving off enough heat to keep her just as warm as the coat.

    Jade whined softly when they parted, burying her face in his chest as a hand stroked her hair.

    “Not gonna do anything out here,” he murmured, rubbing her back. “You’ll freeze.”

    The Omega bit her lip, then suggested slowly, “What if I do something to you?”

    She distinctly saw desire flash in his eyes, but he shook his head. “Come on, lets at least get to the oak first.”

    Deciding that it wasn’t exactly a ‘no’, Jade walked alongside him, quite happy having his arm around her.

    “How was Sioux Falls? I don’t think you ever said.”

    “It was good. Got to see everyone again. Bobby, Ellen, Jo.”

    Jade hummed acknowledgement. He’d told her about them, about everyone, even Jo. While she was only a year younger than him, she was counted among his non-biological sisters. Bobby and Ellen had essentially been a second set of parents, so were the others among John’s lieutenants. Jody Mills and her mate, Donna, were in charge of the eastern branch, maintaining a permanent residence in Vermont. From what she understood, the plan was for Dean to get a business degree before he stepped up. John had been a Marine, hadn’t gotten the chance to go to school, and he insisted all three of his pups take full advantage. Besides, in this day and age it would be very handy. After that the plan was for either John or Dean to move west, while the other stayed put, spreading their reach from coast to coast. Cas was already helping juggle the books, he actually liked math and he was good at it, so Dean gladly handed it over. Benny was better with personal and supplies. Whether Dean moved or stayed, they and most everyone else Jade had been friendly with would go or stay with him. From what she heard people from other branches might join them too. Others would stay, be part of the new commanding web.

    The whole thing was impressively complicated, but Dean had an excellent grasp of it all. He knew who was good at what, what went where, how to get things done, and had no issue delegating. Add to that he obviously cared about his packmates, and you had the ideal leader. Or at least you did in Jade’s eyes. But then that was also a reason she couldn’t let him tie himself to her. Someone much stronger and more capable than her would be needed to help him run such a pack. They deserved better just as much as Dean himself.

    Jade perched on their usual root when they reached the oak, brushing off a bit of snow first. Dean did the same, sinking down next to her with a sigh. She honestly expected tales from their travels, maybe a smart remark. The Alpha still managed to surprise her, like now when he asked abruptly, “Why is it you only sing when you’re trying to calm me down?”

    She frowned at him, saying, “What do you mean?”

    “You said you liked singing, right?”

    “Yeah.”

    “So why don’t you do it more when you’re not at home?”

    “I…I don’t know,” she admitted. “Force of habit, I guess. I didn’t really mean to do it, but the first time I was desperate and it seemed to work so I just…kept going.”

    “When’s the last time you sang?”

    “The last time you heard me.”

    “Why don’t you sing now?”

    “Um, sure. Any requests?”

    “Whatever you want.”

    Jade was considering it when he scooped her up, moving her to his lap. She smiled, nestling herself against his chest and sighing contentedly, one arm draping over his shoulder to idly stroke her fingers through his hair. She pressed her lips to his cheek, then began to sing ‘Ramble On’. After that she did ‘Tequila’, ‘Reflection’, ‘Before He Cheats’, and ‘Two Black Cadillac’s’. Her favorites were still among the folk and country genres, but she’d since acquired a taste for more variety. Besides, Disney had always held a special place in her heart. It had been one of the lone happy things she remembered from her childhood.

    Dean didn’t utter a single sound as she sang, listening quietly. After the last one she trailed off, closing her eyes and turning her chilled nose into his chest, fingers curling at the base of his neck. They sat there for a while, in peaceful quiet, just enjoying each other’s presence.

    Eventually, when Jade reluctantly took notice of the sun drifting westward overhead, she licked her lips and said quietly, “I want…Dean, you did everything for me. I want to return the favor, if you’ll let me.”

    Dean pulled back a little to look at her, frowning. “What do you mean?”

    “The other day. I can never repay what all you’ve done, but…you did things I didn’t know were possible. Made me feel more than I thought possible.”

    “I did that because I wanted to. Because it’s the least you deserve. Same goes for everything. You don’t owe me a thing, Angel.”

    “I want to,” she argued. She bit her lip, looking down, fingers curling around his belt buckle. “I…I want to know…what you taste like.” It was hard to get out, but it was true and she was hoping it would have the desired effect.

    Dean’s breath hitched, a definite note of arousal spiking in his scent. “You sure about that?”

    “Very. Besides, considering how much you seemed to like _my_ taste….”

    A hand cupped the back of her neck, drawing her into a slow, lingering kiss. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” he rasped.

    “I guess not,” she whispered back, arching her spine and leaning up a bit for another kiss, which he gladly gave. “Remind me?”

    “Who’s the smartass now?” Dean chuckled. “Just so we’re clear, you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

    It was a little easier since she wasn’t making eye contact. In a low voice, the words tumbling out before she could think better of it, she said, “I would like to suck your cock.”

    While there was a much more blatant spike of arousal at that, his breath hitching, Dean only said, “I thought you didn’t like those words.”

    “I suppose I’m acquiring the taste.” It didn’t hurt that she’d barrowed Anna’s computer the other day to look up some phrases of a more sexy variety. She’d muttered them over and over in the shower in hopes it would be easier to say them to Dean, which had apparently worked to some degree.

    “Same rules apply,” Dean murmured, trailing light kisses along her jaw. “You change your mind, you wanna stop, you say the word.”

    “Yeah,” she whispered, breath hitching. “Same rules.”

    “Don’t rush anything, alright?”

    “Trust me to trust you,” she prodded, undoing his buckle.

    “In a hurry?”

    “I want to take my time,” she corrected. “But they want pot stickers tonight and those take a while to make.”

    “Pot- oh, whoa, okay.”

    Jade had been tasked with getting very drunk siblings into bed more than once in recent years. This had resulted in the unexpected life skill of getting a person’s shoes and pants off whether they were limp or wildly struggling. Getting Dean’s pants undone took seconds. She beamed, leaning up to kiss him one more time before sliding off his lap and kneeling on the cold ground.

    “You got a hair tie?”

    “Yeah, why?”

    “May wanna use it. It’ll make things easier for you.”

    “Oh. Right. Thanks.” She fished through her jean pockets until she found a stray tie, putting her long hair back in a ponytail. “Anything else I should know?”

    “Just be careful with your teeth,” he said, giving what sounded almost like a nervous laugh. “And don’t do anything because you feel like you have to.”

    “Right. Is there, um…” She gestured helplessly, then just blurted, “I don’t know how to take it out without bending something the wrong way.”

    Dean laughed, but when she flushed he bent to peck her lips. “I appreciate the consideration. Nothing kills the mood like getting your dick jammed wrong.” He also obligingly reached down, pushing his fly out of the way and taking himself out, the band of his underwear pushed down his hips a bit, and below his testicles. He wasn’t very hard yet, but he wasn’t much smaller than he’d been before, either. Didn’t they grow when they got hard? Or was that one of those not-with-everyone type of things?

    Either way, maybe this would give her time to get a feel for things. If she was lucky he’d be raring to go by the time she felt more confident with this blowjob thing. With that in mind, she timidly wrapped her hand around the base of his cock. She was surprised by how warm it was. She distinctly remembered something much harder going into her, but while his penis was firm it was also oddly soft. She found it weirdly fascinating. Particularly the head, which was not unlike a mushroom in shape and very pink. For some reason she had the compulsion to lick it, which for the first time she gave into almost immediately. The taste was a bit salty, but not bad either. Just as interesting, Dean’s breath caught above her, one hand going stiff where it rested on his thigh.

    “Good?”

    “Yep.”

    She hummed, then licked it again. On her third pass she prodded the slit with the tip of her tongue, making the Alpha outright moan. Lips curling into a pleased smile, she slowly ran her tongue around the edge of the head before flicking it over the slit, earning a groaned, “Son of a bitch.”

    “Daughter of a bitch, actually, but please don’t bring my mother into this.”

    Dean erupted into laughter. Jade sat back on her heels, a bit miffed, but he was guffawing so hard she couldn’t help but smile. It took a minute, but eventually he slowed down enough to wipe a tear from one eye and say, “Aw, man. You’re awesome, you know that? Damn I love you.”

    Jade blushed. She hadn’t realized her statement would be taken as so funny, but having Dean laugh so hard and so genuinely had made her chuckle along with him. “I love you too. Should I keep going?”

    “Yeah, yeah, keep going if you want to.”

    “I want to,” she assured him, resuming her grip and bending down to wrap her lips around the head of his cock. This made his breath hitch, all humor gone in favor of arousal. Alpha musk was filling her nose, which was mouthwatering in itself. This was simultaneously annoying and useful, it provided extra lube but it also meant she was constantly wiping her chin. Or maybe the extra drool was just because she was fitting something the size of an elongated jawbreaker into her mouth. None of the articles she’d found on this mentioned an achy jaw, but she had a feeling it was an inevitability, particularly for humans.

    Fortunately, she was not human. Jade licked her way down his cock, which was completely hard by now, and back up again. Then she took a deep breath, getting some extra oxygen before dipping down slowly, seeing how far she could go. She was able to go until the head hit the back of her mouth, then after a moment’s hesitation went until it hit the back of her throat. She gaged a little, but managed to slowly pull back off again. One little gag, that wasn’t so bad.

    “Easy, take your time,” Dean coaxed roughly.

    “Did you like my sounds this much?” she asked, licking her lips and looking up at him.

    His pupils were completely blown out, a few red sparks showing, chest rising and falling faster than she’d expected. Was this really the effect she was having on him? Wow. She hadn’t expected this sort of knowledge to feel so…empowering.

    As she took him back into her mouth, she remembered how he’d hummed a few times while he was sucking on her clit. The vibrations had been amazing. On a whim, she took him to the back of her mouth and hummed, pleased when this resulted in a hitching groan and a hissed, “Shit.”

    The Omega tried some variations, alternating between sucking hard and humming, bobbing her head as she took him a little deeper each time, a hand stroking what wasn’t in her mouth. At one point that hand, now slick with saliva, timidly ventured down to his balls too. They felt a little different, not nearly as stiff as his cock, but it wasn’t unpleasant. More importantly, he moaned a bit more at her exploratory fondling.

    On a whim, the next time she pulled off his cock she dipped her head down, sucking them into her mouth. A surprised grunt came from over her head, followed by a wheezed, “Holy mother of fuck. You sure you’ve never done this before?”

    Jade blushed, waiting until she was moving back to his cock to explain, “I, um, found some articles.”

    “What kind of articles? Oh fuck never mind do that again.”

    “What, this?” she asked innocently. She then repeated what she’d just done, which had been a bit difficult but the rewards were worth it. Particularly if it meant she could make him make that strangled whimper again. She had her free hand on his balls, her right hand grasping the base of his cock as she took as much of him as she’d been able to, all the way down to her thumb, the head going down her throat a bit, then sucked hard, humming as she drew off him slowly.

    Like making love, this blowjob business was a little messy. Not that Dean seemed to mind. She felt a bit clumsy, and despite her best effort her teeth did scrape a few times, but whenever she froze he assured her he was fine. For what it was worth, her successes seemed to far outweigh her mistakes. A pleasant surprise, to say the least.

    Jade’s jaw was beginning to seriously ache, and she was wondering if she should have read more articles, when the Alpha growled, “Might wanna stop now.”

    She looked up at him, mouth still wrapped around his cock, which as before made him moan aloud.

    “Gonna cum, Angel. Not sure you wanna be on board for that.”

    Yes, actually, she did. She wanted to taste him, all of him. What’s more, Dean seemed to like it so much when she squirted she wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

    Rather than pull off all the way, she backed up until just his head was in her mouth and sucked until her cheeks hollowed. A choked, guttural snarl rattled in his throat, the hand that was fisted in the collar of her barrowed coat going ridged, his body shuddering. In hindsight it was probably very impressive his hips had only bucked a few times, and even then not when it could choke her.

    Jade had honestly been bracing herself for a stream of cum. It came in spurts, though, hot and salty and almost sweet. Again, not what she had expected but not bad either. It seemed to be a reoccurring thing. She did have to tilt her head forward, so it wouldn’t start running down her throat and make her choke, but she was able to wait until the cum ran dry to pull of his cock. The Omega swallowed what she still held in her mouth, sitting back on her heels and looking up at Dean as she licked her lips.

    “Was that…okay?”

    Dean stared at her, panting, breath clouding in the cool air. “Okay? You’re kidding, right? You’re a step above fucking awesome.”

    “Oh. Good. Um, did your jaw hurt after….going down on me so much?”

    The Alpha leaned over, pulling her off the ground and sitting her beside him on the tree root before setting about tucking himself back into his pants. “Kinda, but it was worth it. It’s one of those things that happens less the more you do it.”

    “I’ll just have to practice, then.”

    Dean chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulders and tipping her chin up. Heat warmed her face as he kissed her, long and slow with so much tongue there was no way he _couldn’t_ taste himself. When he drew away, both of them panting, he murmured, “No, next time is my turn.”

    Jade pouted, not that she really meant it. “Fine. Just…not out here.”

    “Definitely not out here, Angel. Bed only.”

    “I don’t know, I’ve heard good things about Baby’s backseat.”

    Dean seemed to consider this a moment before shaking his head. “Bed only. For now.”

    “For now,” she relented.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    A new pattern evolved as the days wore on. The time at home was even harder to bear than ever, the ache seemingly worse every day. Mates didn’t feel this, did they? Or was it because they weren’t mates? That there was no guarantee she’d see him again? She had no claim on him, for all she loved him. No right to him, no more than he had to her. For all that, he was simultaneously her best friend and her lover. A lover, she’d never had one before. Never considered it, anymore than she had a boyfriend, or a mate she had the luxury of choosing. For all that, she liked the way it sounded, even if it was just in her head. Lover. Not mistress, not side bitch, technically he wasn’t with anyone else, and Morningstar didn’t count. He was certainly allowed to have others, why not her?

    Tuesdays and Thursdays were the hardest, she only had him in classes and at lunch. Mondays and Wednesdays, they still went to the roof or the park, still ran together, studied, talked. Fridays were her favorite, she got to go home with him. Could spend hours with a family she felt more affection for than her own. The weekends varied a bit. Sometimes both days could pass and she couldn’t get away. Others she was barely home. She still hung out with Meg, with her older friends, even got roped into Moondore with Charlie. Jade now had a third name, Star Song the Swift, an Elfin mage who was ally to the Queen of Moons. She loved being able to relax and spend time with her friends and just be herself. But still her favorite time was that she spent with Dean.

    For all their relationship had evolved into the physical, they still didn’t do much beyond kiss very often. Hell, half their time together wasn’t even alone. Between his family and their mutual friends there were plenty of intrusions, for all they didn’t mind if they were close or if he pecked her cheek. She even created Star Song perched on his lap, Charlie sitting next to them on the couch giving her pointers. Apparently he was a Follower of the Moon, a Warrior who went by Ekorn the Valiant, and was very betrayed she’d chosen to be an Elf. Charlie, who already called Dean her handmaiden in the game, joked that they were a Moondore edition of Romeo and Juliet. That laughter was quickly silenced when, on a whim, Jade plugged Ekorn into an internet translator. Maybe she shouldn’t have, but Charlie seemed to get far too much humor out of it for her liking. It was Jade’s turn to giggle when, after detecting the language as Norwegian, the translator indicated that ‘ekorn’ meant ‘squirrel’. She was still giggling about it when Dean dumped her off his lap to chase after his fleeing traitor of a sister.

    It was easier to ignore the passing time, keeping her head in the sand and enjoying what she had while she had it, so she didn’t think much about it. For all they only made love once more before January was over, she was still beyond happy. Well, he did go down on her again one Friday. Jade had stuffed his pillow into her mouth, heels digging into his back hard enough to make bruises, desperate to make as little sound as possible, acutely aware of Sam working on an essay in the next room for all the door was locked. Yet somehow that just made her cum harder, knowing there was a higher risk of them being caught. Perhaps it was twice, then. No, three. She couldn’t not count the time she’d intentionally tried to seduce him. Though ‘seduce’ was probably a strong word, Jade hadn’t missed how Dean seemed to react to her, and for the first time she tried to deliberately invoke it in him.

    It had started with her tucked against his side on his bed, Dr. Sexy on his computer. Her head was already on his chest, and she started slow. Carefully resting a hand on his thigh, then moving it up bit by bit. She didn’t make it far before he rasped, “Jade?”

    “Yeah?” she asked, freezing.

    “What’re you doing?”

    “Um…”

    She was worried, but when he tipped her chin up his lips were quirked in a bemused smile. “You could ‘a just asked, you know.”

    “I’m…not really sure how,” she admitted sheepishly.

    “I’m guessing we’ve still got an hour before anyone comes home. It’s up to you.”

    The Omega considered this, then mused, “I seem to recall you can do a lot in an hour.”

    A decidedly pleased grin graced his face before he leaned in to kiss her, absently setting the laptop aside, not even bothering to pause Netflix. Jade returned it eagerly, moving over to kneel astride his lap as she ran her hands up into his hair. This earned her a low groan, a hand slipping under her shirt to run up her bare back.

    Jade was faintly aware of Dr. Sexy making out with someone in an elevator, but it was quickly forgotten as she peeled the first of three layers over her own head. Dean took off the next one, leaving her in a t-shirt and bra. But before she got rid of those too, Jade pushed his plaid shirt off his shoulders, which he hurridly shed as he straightened up, arms wrapped around her to pull them flush. Jade wasn’t used to being the higher one, but she found she liked it, humming happily as she cupped his face in her hands and returned his eager kiss.

    They’d gotten both their remaining shirts off, and Jade was fumbling with his belt when Dean rasped, “You hear of cowgirl before?”

    Her head fell back, eyes fluttering as he kissed his way down her neck, sucking at the dip in the middle of her collar bone. “I take it you don’t mean the profession involving horses?”

    A chuckle rumbled in his chest, lips curling into a smile as he lifted his head to gaze up at her. “No. I think you’ll like it, though. You get more control.”

    Jade’s head tilted slightly. “I get control?” she repeated. She didn’t know why she was surprised. By now she’d come to enjoy it, the stark contrast of what she’d been made to expect of an Alpha and what she got out of Dean.

    “Well, you’ve always got control, but this way it’s a little more direct.”

    The Omega smiled, stroking a hand back through his hair as she kissed him again. “Show me,” she murmured.

    She decided to accept her bra going slack around her chest as affirmation. Considering even she had heard many an Alpha and male Beta complain about how hard the contraptions were to get off, Dean never seemed to have a problem with hers. The one time she’d asked, he’d just shrugged and said, “It’s just hooks. You should see a kimono.”

    Their pants went next, but rather than crawl on top of her after her panties had been tossed carelessly aside, Dean pulled her upright with him. Jade watched, fascinated, as he laid down with his shoulders against the pile of pillows they’d been leaning against before, guiding her on top of him to straddle his waist.

    Jade braced her hands on his toned chest, taking stock of her position as his thumbs stroked circles over her hips. Raking a hand back through her hair, combing it out of her way, she noted, “You didn’t mention control also came with more work.”

    “You complaining?”

    “No.” She reached around, grasping his cock to line him up, only to stop when he started to sit up again. “What’s wrong?”

    “Almost forgot.” He reached over, absently closing the laptop and pulling open the bedside drawer.

    Jade pouted, but moved down to perch on his thighs as he opened the condom. “Hurry up.” On a whim, she settled herself lower on his thighs, low enough her wet slit was pressed against hot skin. She rocked her hips, then gave a pleased moan at the result. A very muscled, hairy Alpha thigh provided delightful friction.

    “Jeez, Angel,” Dean groaned, hurridly rolling the condom down over his throbbing cock. “You’re killing me here.”

    “Little old me?” she asked innocently, maintaining her motion.

    The Alpha growled, grabbing her hips and lifting her up, repositioning her back over his own hips. Jade squeaked, then giggled, bracing one hand on his chest while the other helpfully reached around to grasp his freshly sheathed member. As Dean lowered her down, she made sure she came down over his cock, gasping sharply at the sensation, moaning with abandon as he bottomed out. Jade’s head hung as she caught her breath, lips parted, marveling at the fact she was sitting firmly atop him with his cock inside her.

    “I see the appeal,” she panted, managing a smile.

    “I’m here to please,” the Alpha quipped, giving a breathless laugh.

    “I had no idea you could laugh during sex,” she said, a giggle in her own throat.

    “It’s a whole new world, Angel.”

    Jade groaned, but couldn’t help her smile as she threw her head back. “Great. Now every time I hear that song I’m gonna think about this.”

    “You’re welcome.”

    “For ruining a Disney movie?”

    “I thought I was improving it.”

    She smacked his chest, but they were both laughing. Oh gods help her, she was sitting on his dick and they were giggling like school kids over fucking Aladdin. Somehow this just made her love him all the more.

    When she was sure she could move without slipping, Jade carefully rocked her weight up and forward, lifting partway off Dean’s cock before dropping back down again, making them both moan. She tried this again, pleased with the results, before trying to move at different angles. At some point it occurred to her that her tongue was protruding from the corner of her mouth as she moved, trying to do so without coming off his cock completely. It did happen a few times, not that Dean seemed to take offense. He just helped her line back up so she could continue.

    The Omega finally felt like she’d gotten the hang of this ridding business, eyes fluttering, when a hand pressed over her right breast. Her movements paused for a heartbeat, then continued, renewed moans in her throat as he started stroking her nipple, adding to the heat starting to tighten in her groin. This seemed to please Dean, who’s next groan sounded particularly pleased.

    “Like that, babe?”

    She nodded, giving a sighing moan as she rocked her hips in a circle.

    “How about this?”

    Before she could ask, the hand still on her hip moved around to her front until his thumb reached her clit. Jade froze, mouth falling open in a cry as the pad of his thumb began rubbing circles over that sensitive nub of flesh. The sensation was even more intense than when he done similar things before, which she hadn’t thought possible. Was it because he was doing it while she was also stretched around his cock? Oh who gave a fuck, it felt _awesome._

    “Feel good, Angel?”

    “Yeah, yeah, don’t stop,” she whimpered, rocking into his touch.

    “Only if you ask,” was the rough response.

    “That’s the last thing I’m asking for,” she blurted.

    In the end she couldn’t keep a regular pace on her own, her muscles got stiff and her movements clumsy as her orgasm got closer. She reluctantly grabbed the wrist of the hand toying with her breasts, moving it back to her hip and keening needily. He obliged, lifting her up and slamming her down over and over, somehow managing to still rub her clit until she threw her head back and wailed in ecstasy. This time, rather than be embarrassed, it actually made her cum harder when she heard Dean growl, “That’s it babe, squirt for me, cum on me. So fucking hot, you’ve got no idea.”

    By sheer force of will she made herself stay upright until Dean’s own movements went erratic, a guttural snarl in his throat, back arching on the bed as he came just as hard as she had.

    Only then did Jade let herself slump against the Alpha, panting raggedly. A shaky hand came up, stroking her hair, the chest under her head rising and falling just as fast as her own. She lay there even after the aftershocks faded, eyes fluttering.

    She wasn’t sure how much time passed before Dean finally said, “I want you to see.”

    “See what?” she murmured, tracing idle lines between freckles on his ribs.

    “You. I want you to see you when you cum.”

    Heat bloomed in her cheeks. It was one thing to enjoy an orgasm, which she’d stopped blushing about. But watching herself? That seemed to venture into new, pervy territory. Unless of course it was one of those things she found pervy but was actually highly enjoyable.

    After a minute of consideration she asked, “Have you ever watched yourself?”

    “No.” From his tone it was as though this had never occurred to him.

    “I’ll watch myself if you watch yourself.”

    “That can be arranged. But right now we might have to combine it with something else.”

    “A duel experiment?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Mmm, do tell.”

    “Right now doing things where we can both watch might be a little tricky with standard penetration.”

    Jade frowned slightly. “You mean there’s a non-standard penetration?”

    “Anal.”

    “Oh.” Involuntary heat warmed her cheeks even as she turned that over. “I don’t think my self-lubrication extends to cover that…area.”

    The chest under her head bounced as he chuckled. “Easily fixed.”

    “And I don’t think getting in… _there,_ is going to be quite as easy as getting into my…my pussy.”

    A decidedly pleased sound rumbled in his chest at that last word. “Just gatta go slow, like the first time.”

    “Does it hurt?”

    “Wouldn’t have suggested it if it did.”

    “Better get going, then.”

    Jade reluctantly slid off his cock as he shifted her a little higher, making a pleased sound as he rubbed his fingers over her cunt, coating three of them in her slick. Then he moved them farther back, stroking a digit over her pucker before slowly working his index finger inside. Her breath hitched, but she forced her muscles to stay as relaxed as possible, rubbing her nose against his neck as he worked the first finger slowly in and out.

    “Ready for more?” he rasped after several minutes of this.

    “Yeah,” she murmured.

    A second finger wormed inside, working in and out alongside the first, taking his time. When things were as relaxed to his apparent satisfaction they started to scissor wider, slow and careful. Just like that first day, he took his time, not rushing, being so gentle it made her eyes go damp.

    When three fingers were moving languidly in and out without resistance the Alpha finally rumbled, “Ready, Angel?”

    _“Shì,”_ she whispered. Dean still might not be able to speak a word of Mandarin, but Jade had noticed the words or phrases that she let slip most often had been picked up on. Granted it was only the basics, yes and no and the like, but she’d been decidedly pleased nonetheless. Context seemed to have a lot to do with it, too. She’d once demanded “where is my pencil?” in their kitchen, in _Nai-Nai_ ’s more obscure native dialect no less. Rather than stare blankly at her, as Sam had, he’d fished it out from under a textbook and passed it over without looking.

    Granted this anal thing was new to her, but Jade wasn’t sure what to expect after he withdrew his fingers. Maybe that he’d trade in his cock? Instead he sat upright, sitting her down on her rump and peeling off the condom he was still wearing, casting it into the trashcan. She felt a little disappointed when he reached back into the drawer, but instead of another condom he took out…lotion?

    “Not that I’m complaining, but no, um, no condom?”

    “You can’t exactly get one passed the goalie if there’s no goal to get to.”

    It took a moment for her to decipher that, during which time a liberal amount of lotion was being slathered over the Alpha’s cock. Pleased with the idea she’d _finally_ have the chance to have his cum inside her, Jade scooted back a little more as he turned sideways on the bed, sitting back on his heels and drawing her into his arms. As she was rotated, putting her back to him, Jade found herself staring at the mirror over his dresser, her breath catching in a soft, “Oh.”

    “You good?”

    “Yep, all good. Do you need me to do anything or….?”

    “Just sit back and relax, Angel,” he assured her, kissing her shoulder, guiding her down until her hands were on the bed’s edge.

    He’d never taken her from behind before, but then he’d never taken her ass before either. Perhaps the two were synonymous? As much as Jade liked being face to face with him, he had yet to coax her through an experiment she didn’t like so she wasn’t about to complain.

    It was a bit…tighter this way, a little uncomfortable, but a far cry from painful. Jade bit her lip, eyes fluttering closed, a hand resting on her flank as he slowly took her. Her breath caught in a quiet moan even before his hips bumped her rear, a hand stroking her hair.

    “Jade?”

    “Still good,” she breathed. “You gatta trust me too, you know.”

    Soft lips pressed to her spine, and warm arms wrapped around her. One hooked around her waist, his hand grasping her opposite hip, while the other did the same to her shoulders. Then, slowly, Dean lifted her off her hands and back against his chest. Jade gasped, his cock sliding deeper inside her as he sat back on his heels again, still balls deep within her.

    “Oh gods,” she breathed, clinging to his arms. “Dean, Dean….”

    “I’m here, right here,” the Alpha murmured, lips pressed to her ear. “Open your eyes, Angel. Look. Look at us.”

    Jade dragged her eyes open, gasping anew as she took in their reflection, going stiff around his cock, making Dean moan against her neck. She could see herself, eyes dark with arousal, sparking green. Her nipples had shrunk, getting smaller as they got tighter, pebbling at the tips of her breasts, her chest and belly heaving as she panted. Her hair was a mess, which was often a result when they made love, tousled and shoved to one side, tumbling over her shoulder and between them. Red marks from Dean’s harsher kisses speckled over her collarbone and chest, doomed to fade long before she got home. Her thighs were spread wide over both of his, her slit stretched open, her glistening clit on blatant display. Perhaps most striking of all was her expression. Her eyes alone were full of blatant arousal, her panting lips swollen from the Alpha’s kisses, her very expression brazen lust. Was this what Dean saw? What made him moan and fuck her harder?

    Dean himself raised his head from her neck, his own eyes fully dilated and sparking red, equally swollen lips parted as he panted hot breath against her shoulder. Those eyes locked with hers in the mirror, making her breath hitch. The arms around her tightened, lifting her up and lowering her back down again. The girl in the mirror’s face became a wash of ecstasy, a moan coming from her lips.

    “Dean,” she whimpered, clinging to his arms.

    “I see you, Angel,” he murmured, still staring into her reflection.

    Her breath hitched. He didn’t mean literally, of that she was sure. Somehow it made perfect sense.

    “I see you,” she breathed, gazing back at him.

    “Jade,” he whispered, kissing the shell of her ear, eyes never leaving her. He lifted her up, then dropped her back down, making her whimper. “Li Jing.” Up…and down. “ _W_ _ǒ_ _à_ _i n_ _ǐ_.” Up…and down.

    _“W_ _ǒ_ _de x_ _ī_ _nl_ _ǐ_ _zh_ _ǐ_ _y_ _ǒ_ _u n_ _ǐ_ _,_ _”_ she breathed.

    Up…and down.

    “What you said,” he murmured, breath hitching at the words for all she knew he didn’t understand them.

    Up…and down.

    Lips twitching in a soft smile, she turned to brush her nose against his and crooned, “I only have you in my heart.”

    His chest hitched against her back. “I only have you in mine.”

    Up…and down.

    “Say it again?”

    Up…and down.

    “Slower?”

    Up…and down.

    “ _W_ _ǒ_ _de x_ _ī_ _nl_ _ǐ_ _zh_ _ǐ_ _y_ _ǒ_ _u n_ _ǐ_ ,” she recited slowly.

    Up…and down.

    “ _W_ _ǒ_ _de x_ _ī_ _nl_ _ǐ_ _zh_ _ǐ_ _y_ _ǒ_ _u n_ _ǐ_ ,” he whispered. It was slower, and there were a few mistakes, but the words were unmistakable and full of so much love it made her heart melt.

    Up…and down.

    Jade had no idea how long they stayed this way, she only knew that she never wanted it to end. For the first time she was disappointed when she felt an orgasm coming. Dean maintained the slow pace, even when his arms trembled in his own climax, her body slumping against his. Jade had thought it’d be embarrassing, watching her own face as she had an orgasm, finally getting a full-frontal view of this squirting that he seemed so intrigued with. It wasn’t, though. How could it be? There was no one else, no expectations, no people, only her and Dean. And she got to see what Dean saw, what made him go over the edge. Better still, she got to look at his face in full as he came inside her for the first time with no barrier.

    They were both panting in the aftershocks, skin sheening with sweat, but she clung to his wrist when he made to lift her off. “Don’t,” she blurted. “Please? Stay. Stay inside me. Want you to stay inside me.”

    Dean kissed her tenderly, then began the slow, awkward process of laying down on his side, until they were both lying down, his cock still inside her. “I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me, Angel.”

    After what seemed like far too short a time she had to leave yet again. Leave his arms, his bed, his pack. She was even more reluctant than before, taking her sweet time, hands caressing her as she grudgingly got dressed, mouth planting lingering kisses on her lips.

    In a rare stroke of rebellion, when Jade showered at Kevin’s house before going home, she left a trace of their lovemaking. She scrubbed her skin, her hair, but even rinsed away all traces of slick. But she didn’t clean out his cum. She wanted that to stay as long as possible.

    That had been January 23rd. The next day, Dean turned eighteen. He had a party, apparently at Mary’s insistence, pack and family only. Jade had been hoping to go, but much to her dismay it had been one of those days she had pups dumped on her. She had to stay inside to mind the eight-year-old twins across the street. So instead of celebrating Dean’s birthday, she got to be the subject of amusement for the Pack Beta’s demonic sons for a whole day.

    The first of February brought with it renewed snow, three inches falling overnight. This meant Jade spent a majority of her Saturday shoveling snow from all the pack’s driveways and all the connecting sidewalks. She was just glad they didn’t expect her to do the road, too.

    Normally this work had her freezing for the rest of the day, despite all the physical exertion. This time, though, she was warm and dripping sweat all the way through. Jade stumbled in through the garage, putting away the snow shovel and trudging inside after shedding her ice-caked galoshes. She pulled off her patched stocking hat, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes as she panted, undoing her jacket. She’d assumed it was doing so much work on a few mouthfuls of breakfast, this odd feeling. Now that she was inside, she started to wonder if she didn’t have a fever. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been hot, _really_ hot, with internal heat and not something from the environment.

    Jade trudged downstairs, almost tripping over her feet twice before she made it down to the basement. She shrugged off her coat, then began peeling off her layers, leaving a trail from the base of the basement stairs to her bedroom. Once there she traded her bottom-most layers for the shortest shorts Mindy had gifted her with and a camisole, doing her hair up in a ponytail to keep it off her neck.

    Despite all that, and standing in front of a fan blasting cool air, she still felt hot. She was afraid to just walk out into the snow, she’d get frostbite, however much relief it might bring. She settled for dragging herself back upstairs, tripping into the bathroom and shoving the door shut. She clambered into the tub, lying down in the bottom and kicking the plug shut before turning on the water. As cold water flowed over her the Omega sighed, resting her forehead against its edge, wishing she’d thought to get ice from the freezer first. Oh gods what was wrong with her? They hated having to bring her to a doctor. If she had a fever then she must truly be sick.

    Jade didn’t know how long she lay there before it occurred to her arousal was stirring in her groin. Not the sort that sparked occasionally when she was doing research for future escapades or happened to see Dean shirtless. The only thing she could compare it to was when she was making love with Dean. But why would it be hitting her now, so intense with no sort of stimulation? Particularly considering she was sick.

    She was eventually forced to pull the plug to keep the tub from overflowing. Shortly after, probably having heard the water, her father was banging on the door. Jade started, her quiet whimper drowned out by the running faucet.

   _“What are you doing in there? Stop wasting water. Li Jing, answer me.”_

    Before she could work out something to say, the door was thrown open and he barged right in. Jade looked blearily up at him, blinking sluggishly, breath rattling in her chest. Li Jun’s eyes narrowed, then went wide. He clamped a hand over his mouth, then hurried back to the doorway.

 _“Wang Li! Hurry, you must see this!”_ He sounded excited, ecstatic even. Why? She’d expected the exact opposite.

    Her mother hurried to the doorway, stepping into the small space with her mate and looking at where he pointed. Like Li Jun, her eyes narrowed before going huge. An equally wide smile split her face, and she clapped her hands in delight.

 _“At last! Our patients had born us fruit,”_ she rejoiced. _“New Years has come early!”_

    It took a moment for her make sense of that. Oh, right, Chinese New Year’s. It was on February 5th this year. Three days. She had a lot of cooking ahead of her. Again, she didn’t see how they weren’t annoyed.

 _“We will leave to celebrate,”_ Li Jun announced. _“And to give her the house. I don’t want to be here during this.”_

_“No, of course not. Let’s tell the kids and your mother. Find us a hotel and I’ll pack.”_

_“Mother?”_ Jade croaked weakly.

    It did her no good, they’d already hurried out again. Jade whimpered softly, shifting her cheek to a fresh, cooler section of porcelain. A few minutes later soft feet shuffled in, and her eyes cracked open as _Nai-Nai_ sat on the closed toilet lid, reaching over to stroke her hair soothingly.

    _“What’s happening to me?”_ Jade whispered, a tear rolling free.

    _“You’ll be alright. I’ve left some things under your bed for you, and your mother will leave you what supplies you’ll need. It’s to their benefit to keep you stocked in water and nutrients.”_

_“You know what this is?”_

_“I’m afraid this is the start of your heat. You’ll want to start making your nest before it takes you completely.”_

    In hindsight it made sense, she was just very much hoping this wasn’t it. The flu was far preferable to a heat. Oh gods, she was having her heat. That was it, it was over. Her time with Dean was over. No more Dean, no more friends, no more Winchester-Campbell pack, no more Dean, no more school, no more mathletes, no more Dean. The idea made her want to sob. Only Mindy, flouncing in to wrinkle her nose at her little sister as she threw together some toiletries, kept her in check.

    Reluctantly Jade turned off the water, taking the towel _Nai-Nai_ offered her and trudging downstairs to her room. Sure enough, a case of water bottles and a box of various foodstuffs was outside her bedroom door. Jerky, dried fruit, rice cakes, prawn crackers, and a few bananas. Jade dragged them into her room, then sluggishly returned _Nai-Nai_ ’s hug before closing her door.

    She wasn’t sure what making her nest meant, but as expected her instincts kicked in as soon as she looked at her bed. Step one was hauling the mattress off its frame, filling up most of what little was left of her floor. Then she was running back and forth from upstairs and back, gathering up all spare sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, and rags. Initially Mindy and Lee put up a fuss, but their mother shushed them and urged them to pack. Jade was too out of it to really enjoy the moment, running around like a frantic squirrel until she had successfully horded all the house’s nesting supplies, closing herself back into her room when she was done.

    It wasn’t until she was satisfied with the result that she remembered _Nai-Nai_ ’s words, and looked under her bed frame. A box she didn’t recognize was waiting for her, the flaps folded over each other, making it far easier to open than if tape had been used. Raking her forearm across her damp brow, Jade pulled them open and peeked in.

    What she saw was simultaneously embarrassing and a great relief. Toys. _Nai-Nai_ had left her toys. Well, most of them were toys. Two packs of unopened baby wipes, a garbage bag, and two large Hershey’s bars were on top. She wasn’t sure about the garbage bag, but she _had_ heard Omegas tended to mass produce slick during their heats. Hence the hydration issue, hence the water they’d left for her. If this was true, then the baby wipes would be very handy.

    A majority of the toys were of a phallic nature. Three dildos of increasing length and girth, and very bright colors, were the first to be pulled out. A forth had something attached to it, and after a moment she figured out it was meant to be an inflatable knot. Considering she’d be jonesing for an Alpha’s knot any minute now it would probably become the most used. There were also two butt plugs, one smaller one larger. To help feel full, maybe?

    She set those aside too, fishing out a vibrator with a rounded head that already had fresh batteries. A baggie with more was taped to it. Another, this one shaped more like a large tongue with lots of little bumps, had its own baggie of batteries attached.

    The last thing Jade pulled out made her eyes water. It was a soft, knitted pale gray elephant, plush and squishy and not at all itchy against skin that had become very sensitive. It had a plump body, with stubby arms and legs, floppy ears, a trunk that went all the way down its body, even two little white tusks on either side of it, its big black eyes stitched on.

    Jade crawled onto her nest, in the middle of a circle of pillows and blankets and towels, clutching the elephant to her chest as she gave in to the sobs. For the end of what little life she’d had, for her short, ended time with the one Alpha she’d ever loved. For the upcoming misery of an unfulfilled heat, for the joy her family took in the demolition of her life, for the precious gifts _Nai-Nai_ had taken care in choosing to make this easier on her.

    Eventually her sobs petered out, and she tugged the toys closer to her nest. She was fiddling with the inflatable knot, trying to figure it out, when a brusque knock on her door made her start. It didn’t open, thankfully, but her mother shouted through the thin wood in a voice that suddenly seemed reminiscent of nails down a chalkboard.

_“We’re leaving! We’re locking up the house and everyone’s under strict orders to leave you alone. We will be staying in a hotel across town while this runs its course. Call me when it’s over and we’ll come back. Remember to air out the house first. Have fun!”_

    Have fun? Seriously? The woman had taken apparent pleasure in telling her just how many sex-related things were miserable, heats being among them. But then considering how wrong she was about sex, maybe heats wouldn’t be so bad.

    Jade whimpered, burying her face in the elephant’s head. She’d already decided to call it Gong-Gong, after a draconic sea monster from _Nai-Nai’_ s old stories that had always seemed to be on the losing side. She’d eventually felt sorry for the beast, empathizing with a creature that always seemed to be set up as the enviably defeated villain. She didn’t even know if she’d be allowed to keep the elephant, for all she knew Morningstar would take it away or worse, but for now she had him and he was comforting. Samandriel had mentioned it once, that having something small and baby-like could be comforting during a heat. She hadn’t realized how right he was.

    She peeled off what little she still wore when the ache between her legs became unbearable, and found slick had already gotten through her damp shorts. Swallowing thickly, she reached for the nearest dildo. She didn’t just miss Dean, she _needed_ him. His scent, his presence, his cock. Nothing would do but Dean, but that was out of the question, so the toys would have to be enough.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80, HenriaSownbinder, Guest, and SeaWitchAndABitch!

    Dean slammed the Impala’s door, jamming a hand back through his hair as he stalked into the Gas ‘N Sip. Last time Jade had been housebound all weekend there’d at least been a reason, he’d gotten word through Kevin they’d decided the entire yard needed detailed tending and their store’s books needed balancing. He hated how they dumped everything on her, but he couldn’t do anything. He itched to just whisk her away from them, his wolf straining against the reins more and more each day. But she didn’t want him to, so he wouldn’t. No one else in her life had respected her wishes, the least he could do was that much.

    But today her _Nai-Nai_ had bridge club or something in town, she had an excuse to get away for the day, or at least she should. He’d called around, no one knew why she hadn’t been out and about yet, for all the sun was starting to set. He’d finally gone by the community center, asked around, but the Chen’s had been nowhere to be found all day. He’d checked the library, the grocery store, even the school, but he couldn’t pick up any traces of her scent, and he still didn’t have her damn number. Kevin did, so did a few of the others, but their texts and calls had gone ignored.

    Something was off, he knew it, he just wasn’t sure what. This wasn’t like Jade, to just drop off the map. He was seriously tempted to just go by her house, but that would break the tenuous treaty they had. She could come and go as she pleased on their turf, but if her pack found out he stuck so much as a toe onto theirs they’d declare war just to save face, the bastards.

    He was getting hungry, and Baby needed a tank-up, so he reluctantly circled back through town. He’d have to go home after this, loath as he was to admit it. For all he knew they’d just decided to be particularly big dicks today and keep her on lockdown for an imagined slight. It still hurt, that his hands were tied. He _hated_ having his hands tied.

    Dean made his way inside the brightly lit shop, the _ding_ as he opened the door sounding far too cheerful. He wandered through the aisles, absently grabbing his usual fair. Siracha-Lime jerky, chipotle peanuts, and a slice of pie. He was taking a soda out of the fridge when the bell dinged again, making him grimace. It was still _way_ too cheerful.

    “Hey, Lacy, I need you to take my shift tonight.”

    “Why?” huffed the girl at the counter.

    “We’re celebrating. Hey, grab some Twinkies for me, would you?”

    “Grab your own Twinkies.”

    Dean spared a glance at the snarky reply, only to go ridged. He’d had the decided pleasure of never actually meeting Jade’s siblings in person, but he’d done his research, and he’d heard her reluctantly shared stories. Lee was the one trying to get Lacy to take his shift, Sherman was the one pocketing a pack of gum in plain view of security camera, and Mindy was wandering the candy isle. He spared a glance outside, picking out their parents by a gas pump and a very nice-looking SUV. How was it could they afford that but not get Jade a decent winter jacket?

    “Celebrating what?” Lacy was asking.

    “Something big. I’ll take your morning shift, alright?”

    “I don’t work in the morning.”

    Gritting his teeth, Dean stalked over to the other register as Lee haggled with his coworker, growling out a gruff, “And ten on two.”

    The skinny teenager rung him up quickly, putting everything into a bag and passing him the receipt. The sooner he got out of here, the better. He’d still have to pump gas, unfortunately. Baby would stall halfway home otherwise.

   Dean grabbed his bag and was stalking out the door when he walked passed Mindy’s turned back. The scent that hit his nose made him freeze in his tracks for a heartbeat before he forced himself to move again. _Don’t draw attention, don’t act weird, just keep moving. Ignore them and they’ll probably ignore you._

    The Alpha shoved out the door, striding briskly back to the Impala. By the time he reached the pump it was something that was actually painful. Not only was he itching to rip into them, he was trying to keep down a hard-on.

    He’d smelled an Omega in heat before. Mary, mostly, but familial heat or rut scent was repulsive rather than attracting. Meg had had a heat shortly after Claire, before they’d gotten her on suppressants. He’d been ashamed when only the fact she was mated, and knowing Cas would rip him apart for touching her, had kept him in check as a getaway driver and nothing else. He’d had a few brushes over the years, going by a house and turning right around when he caught wind, but little else. Hell, he’d only had one rut himself. It had been hell, it was why he was on suppressants now, but that was it.

    What he’d caught on Mindy was not the bland Beta wolf he’d expected. He’d even picked up traces clinging to her brothers. A thick, heady, mind-clouding, mouth-watering, cock-hardening scent. It was pure, raw Jade, and then some. The closest thing he could compare it to was her musk, the intoxicating pheromones she gave off when she was aroused, emanating from her scent glands and her slick.

    She was in heat. Jade was in heat. His wolf outright howled in delight. Their beautiful Omega was having her first heat! She had gone into heat and her family had…what? Abandoned her? Lee had said they were _celebrating_. What, that they could finally pimp her out for good? That their meal ticket had come due? Just thinking about it made him growl low in his throat, fingers tightening enough to dint the gas pump handle.

    Had they just locked her up in that house, all alone? Did they bother to leave her supplies? No, they seemed to care enough to keep her in semi-decent condition. They’d probably left her water, some food. An Alpha’s rut was misery enough, but as he understood it an Omega’s unfulfilled heat was worse. Did they at least leave her toys? Something to ease it a little? Or were they so worried about her precious, nonexistent virginity they hadn’t even given her that?

    The more he thought about it, the angrier her got. By the time he got behind the wheel Dean had made up his mind. He didn’t need his wolf kicking up a fuss to know he couldn’t just leave her there, the damn dog was howling and snapping and jonesing to get out. He kept having to shove it back down, keeping it in check by the barest margin as he sped towards Kevin’s house. His was closest to Jade’s.

    Baby’s breaks squealed as he came to a halt in their driveway, cutting the engine and getting out, not even bothering to lock her as he sprinted for the tree line, shifting as he went. His wolf sprang free with a vengeance, sprinting towards their Omega.

    As they got closer he took to the street, where his scent would be hard-pressed to linger, paws thumping on asphalt, claws scraping. He only slowed when they reached the house with Jade’s address, dropping back to two legs in the twilight and stalking towards it. He circled around, making his way to the backdoor, only to freeze halfway around the house, eyes dropping to a rectangular window. One that would be just large enough for him to squeeze through. The inside was covered with a towel, but that heat-scent was still leaking through. It was stronger now, direct from the source. Just as telling, a rusted lock was on the outside. They’d locked her window. His wolf growled anew at that. They’d locked away their precious Omega like a prisoner.

    Dean dropped to a crouch, breaking the lock with a brisk twist and yanking the window open, the towel tumbling inside. He slid through along with a gust of chilled air, feet first, dropping down onto a desk. He’d barely touched down when a piercing scream reached his ears, making him wince.

    Had he been in his right mind, Dean would have realized he’d essentially just broken into an Omega’s nest during their heat. Regardless of who you were, that wouldn’t be taken well. But he’d just gotten smacked in the face with heat scent that made him growl outright, going feral in a heartbeat. His wolf had as much say as he did, head swinging around, taking stock of the situation.

    The room was tiny. That was the first thing he noticed. He had to bend double on his perch on her desk to keep his head from hitting the ceiling. A plain bedframe was shoved into one corner, a battered armoire against the wall by the door, a broken mirror propped opposite the bedframe. In what little space remained in the room’s middle was a nest, the base supposedly made from the bed frame’s missing mattress. A ring of pillows built up its edges, covered in towels and blankets, more heaped in its center. The room itself was steeped in _Jade,_ her scent, but that space was where this heady heat scent was originating. It was also the source of that terrified scream.

    It went quiet, giving way to whimpers at his growl. His wolf shrank back at the sound. They’d scared their Omega.

    Mouth twisting in a grimace, Dean pushed the window closed again, stuffing the towel back into place. The last thing she needed was a chill. Satisfied the nest had been fortified again, he carefully came off the desk, kneeling on the nest’s edge and rasping, “Jade?”

    The whimpers trailed off. There wasn’t much light, the desk lamp was off, what illumination there was just came from a battered three-foot oriental lantern perched next to the mirror, where the light could be reflected farther into the space. The paper sides were ripped, torn, but the bulbs still burned strong, casting light into her nest. Amid a bundle of blankets, one of which their Omega was curled under, a head of long, dark hair lifted. Wide, damp eyes raised to stare at him, fully dilated and laced with glittering emerald. Her lips were parted in ragged pants, her cheeks marked with what looked eerily like dried tears, the blanket her only covering, some sort of stuffed animal clutched to her bare chest.

    It took a moment, but he heard her breath hitch. Then she gave a low keen, reaching her right hand towards him, fingers straining desperately. It was all he needed.

    In a heartbeat Dean was at her side, yanking her into his arms, blanket and plushie and all, burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply. Jade threw her arm around his neck, turning her face into his own scent glands, whimpering keens giving way to soothed croons. The Alpha held her tight, swallowing thickly. The blanket she had been curled under was half drenched in slick, his cock throbbing, aching to sink into her. At a guess he had mere minutes before she would be itching for a fix, and here he was still fully dressed. He was still quasi-sane, enough to realize that wasn’t going to work.

    Reluctantly, he freed one arm so he could start getting his boots off. She didn’t seem to mind, so long as she could still cling to him. Getting boots and socks off was easy, but everything else was a little trickier. He shook and wiggled until he got his jacket off one arm, then traded off to do the other, chunking it aside. Her scent was already spiking, this was too slow.

   Gritting his teeth, Dean reluctantly unwound her arm from around his neck, kissing her tenderly before pushing her away. Immediately the keening resumed, a truly pitiful sound, and he hurridly shucked the rest of his cloths in record time. As soon as he was down to his birthday suit he grabbed her again, the keening quieting as she scrambled into his lap.

    A comforting growl thrummed in his chest, her skin unusually warm under his touch as her quivering stilled. Slick covered her ass and thighs, several slick-covered toys scattered through the nest. That was more than he’d thought they’d afford her, though from what he’d heard it had likely been her grandmother to provide the toys and baby wipes. Probably the elephant too. He could see a tray of water bottles and a box sitting by her door, probably food. Good. He wouldn’t have to go get anything.

    Satisfied, he let his instincts take over, flipping her onto her back even as she started whimpering needily, hips bucking against him. This earned a pleased sound, the elephant dropped in favor of clinging to him with both arms, a wanton moan in her throat. The Alpha pressed a hungry, messy kiss over her mouth, then turned his attention south as legs hooked around his waist. He was surprised when his fingers hit something protruding from both her ass and her pussy, and while a part of him knew it made sense, it irked his instincts. To them it didn’t matter that this meant she’d already endured at least one wave of raw need, aching to be filled and knotted and having to bear it with poor substitutes. Right then the only thing in his head was that _he_ should be the only one filling her. She was _his,_ his to kiss, his to touch, to see, to fill, to knot. He might not be allowed to mate her, for all he ached to from the bottom of his heart, but in the meantime he had no intention of allowing anyone else to come near her.

    She gave a yelp as he yanked out the pathetic excuse of a fake dick, complete with a fake knot. He took out the plug slower after that, pressing soothing kisses over her skin. It didn’t seem to take much before he was forgiven, Jade back to making needy, desperate sounds, hips bucking into thin air.

    In seconds he was fully sheathed inside her, a groan in his throat to match the moan in hers. In that moment, all caution was thrown to the wind. Every other time before he’d gone out of his way to be careful, to enjoy the moment, to make love rather than outright fuck. Right now, with his nose in her heat and his rut brewing in his groin, there was no other word for it and he couldn’t bring himself to care. Maybe he still would have, but it was what she wanted, what she needed. Anything less wouldn’t satisfy her. As it was she was clawing up his back, making needy sounds, urging him faster, harder.

    Dean only slowed when he felt his knot start to swell, which even surprised his wolf. Normally it took two rounds or more to pop a knot, not that he was complaining. Hell, the damn dog was preening as he rocked inside their Omega one more time, their knot large enough to lock them together.

    A choked, crooning keen drifted through Jade’s lips, her head falling back as she came hard, body spasming below him as her inner walls clamped down hard on his knot. Dean’s head dropped, nipping sharply along the curve of her neck, barely holding himself back enough not to break skin. To bite with his knot inside her like this would be to mate her, which she hadn’t asked for.

    It generally took ten or fifteen minutes for a knot to fade, give or take. This early on it would likely last longer. But as Dean didn’t see a clock he had no way to gauge it, so he settled for laying out over Jade, spreading his heat and warmth over her. It might be called a heat, and they did tend to overheat, but post-orgasm an Omega’s temperature plummeted. She was already shivering, sighing softly as he sprawled over her, wrapping his arms around her.

    “Dean,” she whimpered, turning her nose into his neck.

    Words tended to be few and far between during heats and ruts, from what Dean had heard. It pleased him to no end that the one word she’d uttered so far was his name. Jade was practically purring beneath him, radiating satisfied, happy Omega. Dragging his head away from temptation, Dean pressed his mouth over hers. It was messy and breathless, but she didn’t seem to care anymore than he did.

    Eventually his knot did deflate, and he slid out of her only to have Jade whimper in dismay. Dean would have gladly stayed, but considering how much slick she was making she had to be getting dehydrated. An Alpha’s prerogative in rut was to tend their Omega, be it fucking their brains out or keeping them healthy. Right now, she needed the latter more than the former.

    Dean shushed her, kissing her tenderly, stroking her hair, moving slowly. At least it was one perk of such a tiny room, he only had to put one foot outside the nest to drag the box and waters closer. He was able to keep one hand on her as he hauled them to where he wouldn’t have to extract himself at all to reach them, and resettled himself in the nest. Jade curled around him, arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest, quieting once assured he wasn’t going to leave.

    The Alpha kept one arm around her, using his free hand to grab a water bottle. He twisted it open, then brought it around to her lips. At first Jade turned away, but stilled when he growled softly. When he brought the bottle to her lips again, she reluctantly took a few tiny sips. Those sips quickly turned to gulps, and in no time she’d sucked the whole bottle dry. Dean smiled, tossing it aside, murmuring wordless praises, stroking her long, silky hair. She shivered, turning into him, unabashed joy in her eyes at the simple affection. Had his head been on straight it would have broken his heart.

    Unsure when she’d last eaten, he leaned over to peer into the food box. Most of the stuff he recognized, but some things he didn’t. The jerky was planer than he usually liked, Sam really liked this dried fruit stuff, and bananas would do her a lot of good right now. The rice cakes took a little longer, but the odd, circular, white cracker-type things he wasn’t sure of. In the end he opted to start simple, grabbing a banana first and peeling it halfway. Her nose twitched, but it took a little coaxing before she took a tentative bite, peeking up at him as though she honestly expected displeasure for it.

    Dean’s wolf bristled, but rather than let it show he nuzzled her jaw, crooning reassuringly. It took pleasantly little encouragement to get her through an entire banana and some teriyaki beef jerky before she started refusing. Hadn’t John warned him Omegas were reluctant to eat during their heats? Or was this a side effect from being generally underfed?

    Jade yawned, settling against his chest again, apparently quite content for the time being. Or so he thought. Dean had just gotten comfortable when she started crawling up him again, somehow managing to get onto his cock before the scent of a fresh wave of slick hit his nose. He was already growling, dumping her onto her back and ramming into her with a vengeance, not taking kindly to something that bordered on dominance. Only when she offered her throat to him did he proceed to fuck her with abandon.

    He didn’t feel the need to feed her again, so there was no reason to separate. Even after his second knot died down he stayed put, resting inside her, feeling oddly complete. Jade certainly seemed happy. She clung to him like a contented monkey, face buried in his neck. Dean let his eyes slide shut, his own nose buried in the nearest mass of black hair. He hadn’t intended to fall asleep, just rest up a little, but two knots really took it out of a guy.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade stirred, feeling…uncomfortable. The sort of uncomfortable a trip the bathroom usually fixed. She still felt hot, though, sweat trickling down her temple. There was also some arousal brewing, which would need to be taken care of too, but first things first.

    Her eyes fluttered open, and she took a deep, calming inhale of thick Alpha musk. _Dean’s_ Alpha musk. At first she hadn’t believed it when he’d come to her. She wasn’t sure how he’d known, why he’d come, but she was glad he did. The first wave had been complete and utter misery, the toys helped but weren’t nearly enough. There was no scent, no warmth, no force, nothing. When she finally had managed to cum it had been empty, unfulfilling.

    Getting knotted by Dean had been the exact opposite. She’d hated it when he’d finally pulled out, acting like he was going to leave again. But he’d only made her drink, let her eat. Then he’d knotted her all over again, and she’d gotten to taste the nirvana of nodding off with Dean covering her with his heat, his weight, his scent, his cock inside her.

    He was still inside her, actually. Jade stilled, but the damage was done. She whined plaintively as he sat up, yawning and blinking down at her. The Alpha smiled, dipping down to kiss her. She clung to him, returning it gladly, but when he withdrew he rasped, “Bathroom?”

    Only because she had to go too, and quite badly, did she not do more than whimper as he pulled out. She unwound one arm, pointing to the ceiling. Dean made a face, but sat back and set about getting them to the nest’s edge. Leaving it made her very uneasy, and even to relieve herself she probably wouldn’t have left regardless of the consequences. She still wouldn’t have, but Dean was the one coaxing her to her feet, one arm around her. He was safe, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, wouldn’t let anyone else sate her heat. At current he was also keeping her from falling on her face, her legs weak beneath her.

    It seemed to take an age, hobbling through the chilled basement and up worn wooden steps. She had to point once they were on the main floor, directing their progress to the hall bathroom. The Omega only let go of him to brace a hand against the counter, lowering herself onto the toilet with a sigh of relief.

    Dean even afforded her some privacy, which she hadn’t expected, standing guard at the door, back to her. He turned around when she reached back to flush the toilet, moving her to sit on the tub’s edge as he took his turn. Then, rather than get them back to the nest, he turned on the sink’s hot water and got a rag wet. He then proceeded to wipe her down, from head to toe, removing sweat as well as slick.

    As nice as this was, Jade was still very happy to return to the nest, even if he did make her drink another bottle of water before fucking her again. It was rougher than their previous encounters, but she loved him all the more for it, giving her what she needed. She was free to moan and wail with abandon until he knotted her for a third time. Round four, when she got a little too eager in trying to ride the dozing Alpha’s dick, he flipped her onto all fours and pounded her from behind. Jade was surprised to find this was even more satisfying, for all her knees gave out when she came. He had to keep her upright with an arm around her waist until he was done, knot locking inside her.

    Jade was prepared to doze a bit after that, finally feeling fully sated, Dean settling at her back. She wasn’t sure why, but even as she struggled to keep her eyes open she was hit by the sense something was missing. The Omega looked around, her breath catching uneasily when she couldn’t find it.

    Dean shushed her, stroking her side, knot tugging a little as she started to move.

    “Gong-Gong,” she whimpered, patting around, searching for the elephant.

    “Gong-Gong?” Dean repeated, voice just as rough as it was confused.

    “Gong-Gong,” she repeated anxiously. “Gong-Gong.”

    The Alpha’s chest lifted off her back, twisting one way, then the other. “Gong-Gong?” he asked, bringing the elephant around.

    Jade’s face lit up, body slumping in relief. “Gong-Gong!” she rejoiced, snatching it and holding it tight to her chest.

    Dean stroked her hair, soothing her as she resettled below him. Now that she was calm, he seemed to calm in turn, dragging over a blanket that hadn’t suffered her slick yet, tucking in both them and Gong-Gong as he shifted carefully onto his side, moving her with him. Jade closed her eyes, one arm holding the elephant tight, the other clutching Dean’s arm, a soft, contented sigh leaving her.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade had no idea how much time passed like this. Waking up half the time to be practically carried to the bathroom to tend the necessaries and be cleaned up. Those were also the times he’d give her all the food she could eat and make her drink too, before he’d give her another knot. Other times he jumped straight to fucking her and knotting her as many times as it took before they both passed out again.

    Eventually, though, the Omega opened her eyes and wasn’t plagued with raw lust, her thoughts finally clear. She felt a little sore, and in dire need of a thorough shower, but otherwise fine. Which was most definitely _not_ what her mother had told her to expect. She’d expected to wake up aching and dehydrated and utterly miserable. Minor irritations aside, she felt oddly content. Fulfilled.

    Blinking rapidly in the dim light, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, she looked around. She went ridged when she saw the space heater curled around her was Dean, one arm wrapped around her waist, their legs tangled together, his cock still inside her, face buried in her hair. Oh gods it was heaven.

    She had just closed her eyes again, content to enjoy the moment, when reality came crashing down. Her perfect moment shattered with a jolt of panic as it hit home the inevitable results should her family return and find any trace she’d spent her heat with an Alpha. Even as she damned them for ruining her peace yet again, she felt Dean snort awake at her back, lifting his head.

    “Jade?” he rasped sleepily, arm tightening around her. “What’s wrong?” There was a pause, then, “You feel sane again?”

    “Yeah.” Her own voice rasped in her throat. From misuse or from orgasm-induced screams?

    Dean sat up, making Jade wince as he slid out of her. Both at the loss, and the decidedly wet sound it caused. The Alpha stretched, an impressive amount of muscle rippling under his skin before he turned to look back at her.

    “Did they say when they’re coming back?”

    “I’m to call them after I air out the house.”

    The Alpha made a face. “You’re kidding, right? You should be on fucking bedrest for a day.” He swung his legs over the nest’s edge, standing stiffly, plastic rustling as he did.

    “I’m fine,” she protested weakly, dragging herself to the nest’s edge.

    Dean only snorted in response, going to open the door. “Ain’t there heat down here?”

    “No.”

    Scowling, he marched towards the stairs, calling, “Wait there,” over his shoulder.

    He was gone before she could protest. Huffing in resigned irritation, Jade took stock of her nest and the floor outside it. She was surprised to see it littered with various wrappers and empty water bottles, nearly as messy as the nest. Well, not messy. The floor was cluttered. Her nest was a mess of towels and blankets and rags and in complete disarray, a pile of things that were either streaked or outright soaked in dried slick in its far corner.

    Okay, so basic cleanup and about three loads of laundry. Half a day’s work, tops. Not so bad.

    Jade crawled to the nest’s edge, putting her legs over it and trying to stand, intending to fetch the laundry basket. She barely got upright before her legs gave out under her, and she sat down hard on the nest. Her muscles had already felt oddly loose, now they just felt like so many noodles. It hit her then, just how weak she felt, how drained. Was this what Dean had meant?

    She had to settle for grabbing the garbage bag _Nai-Nai_ had left for her, shaking it out and filling it with all the trash. There was only one water bottle left, and a few rice cakes. All the banana’s, dried fruit, jerky, and prawn crackers were gone. There were also two chocolate bar wrappers among the mess. A lot of her heat was a blur of lust and animalistic fucking, but a few memories did stand out. One of which was Dean bribing her with a few squares of chocolate if she drank the water he was offering her.

    All the trash was cleaned up, and she was using the baby wipes to clean and stow the last of the discarded toys when Dean came back, balancing a tray.

    Jade gaped at him, protesting, “What did you do?”

    “What? I’m starving and I figured you’d be. Just ‘cause you ate don’t mean you don’t need a nutrient boost after that. Your body just went through hell, you need to refuel.”

    “Yes but….they might get upset if they notice the food missing,” Jade mumbled weakly. She might have been more forceful, but her stomach was rumbling loudly as she smelled and saw what all Dean had made.

    On the tray were two heaped plates and two mugs of coffee. Mountains of scrambled eggs, what seemed like dozens of slices of bacon, and likely a whole loaf’s worth of buttered toast. Despite her protests, the moment the tray was within reach Jade was eagerly stuffing her face. When she came up for air halfway in, she found the capacity to be embarrassed and peek over at Dean. She shouldn’t have bothered. He was making an even bigger pig of himself.

    After they’d all but licked their plates clean, Dean took the tray back up to the kitchen. Jade had a feeling she would be on bedrest for a whole day if she were human, but as it was her boosted metabolism made quick work of her breakfast. Her legs weren’t very steady, but she was able to stand on her own. More or less.

    It was slow going, but Jade managed to skirt the wall and make her way towards the stairs, which she had to climb one step at a time. Her goal was the laundry room, which was passed the kitchen. She paused in the doorway, catching her breath. Dean had his back to her, scrubbing a pan in the sink, the rest of the kitchen already cleaned up. It occurred to her then just how used to their mutual nudity she must have gotten, glancing down at herself then back up at Dean. He’d been wandering her house, completely naked, and was now standing at her kitchen sink, scrubbing a frying pan, giving her an excellent view of a nicely toned, well, _everything._

    Feeling a bit impish, Jade brought her fingers to her lips. Meg had taught her to whistle a few weeks ago, and now she used that new skill to wolf-whistle the Alpha. Dean half turned, a decidedly pouty look on his face.

    “Don’t objectify me. What are you doing out of bed?”

    “I’m not sleeping on that. Besides, I’m fine. I’m just slower is all.”

    “Give me a second and I’ll help you.”

    “You’ve done plenty, I promise you.”

    She made it to the laundry room, but no sooner had she picked up the laundry basket then Dean was plucking it from her hands. He made her wait there while he hauled everything upstairs, but he did let her direct all the sorting and which settings were needed. When the first load was going, he brought her to the bathroom for a very long, very hot shower. She’d heard of shower sex, and while she’d been hoping to try it neither of them had the energy. Instead he lathered up every inch of her long hair, first with shampoo, then conditioner, a favor she returned. She grabbed the body wash next, taking her time in massaging suds into every inch of skin, something Dean seemed to appreciate. He took his own time in returning the favor.

    By Jade’s guess it had been midmorning when she’d come to. They spent the rest of the day cleaning up, airing out the house, and putting a lot of embarrassing linens through the laundry. A fresh layer of snow had come down at some point, so Jade was reluctant to just open up all the windows. They settled for leaving the downstairs ones open for a few hours, then using an entire canister of Lysol. Honestly it was hard for Jade to really tell, but Dean swore up and down there was nothing left of it by the time they were done. They also added their towels to the wash, and the last of the Lysol was used to get rid of Dean’s scent as they made their way back to Jade’s room. By the time they were done there was no trace of her heat or the Alpha in the house.

    He even helped her get her mattress back onto the bedframe and make it, tucking in worn flannel sheets and the extra blankets. Jade was stowing Gong-Gong in the back of her armoire, out of sight of people who might want to steal him, when the other elephant in the room was finally addressed. She’d been trying to avoid it, and Dean had let her until now.

    “You don’t have to stay here,” he said in a low voice.

    Jade bit her lip, slowly closing the battered double doors. “You have no idea how much I wish that were true.”

    His arms slid around her waist from behind, lips pressing to the top of her head. “I’ve got an idea. There something you ain’t telling me?”

    Her eyes slid closed as she leaned back into him, resting her hands on his arms. “The contract they drew up…the one that binds me to Morningstar, I…they made me sign it.”

    “So? Not gonna take much to prove it was done under duress, we can work with that.”

    “With a bloody thumbprint,” she whispered.

    Dean stilled at her back. “They what?”

    “I wouldn’t sign, so they…I’m sorry, I couldn’t…I tried not to but he’s stronger than I am and- “

    “Hey, hey, hey,” he interrupted, turning her around and tucking her face into his chest. “You got nothing to be sorry for. Damn bastard is the one I’m pissed at. Seriously? Fucking blood thumbprint?”

    She nodded against his chest, then reluctantly stepped back, least she have to take another shower before her family got back. “It’s never mattered what I want,” she said slowly. “If it did I would choose you. It’s why I can’t ask you…why I can’t ask you to mate me. It would be a big, painful mess and I still wouldn’t be allowed to stay with you.”

    What followed was a truly impressive string of curses that barely fell into the category of grammatically correct. Some of the words were new to her, others she’d never heard in such context. Despite the situation, Jade managed a tiny, almost-smile as she watched Dean angrily pace her closet of a room.

    Finally the Alpha jerked around to stare at her, red sparks in his eyes. “It ain’t set in stone. They’ve gatta have clauses or some shit in there by now. Have you or Kevin or anybody looked?”

    “I don’t have access to the materials,” she said quietly. “All those documents and amendments are on paper in their DC location. Unless you know someone, which I don’t, you have to request them yourself, you can’t do it by proxy. Even if I went there myself, Morningstar’s too connected and the bureaucracy’s too slow. A blood seal is very old, very strong, very respected. More so than my signature would be. It would probably take weeks just to find a clause that would work in my favor, never mind find someone willing to go up against Morningstar in court and cover every possible point they’d try to use against us. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I just…I couldn’t. You’re the best thing to happen in my life, I wanted to enjoy it while I could.”

    Dean’s eyes were more red than green. For a moment she honestly thought he’d shift right there, his entire body shaking like a volcano about to erupt. Then he jerked around, pacing three more circuits of the miniscule space before growling, “How long?”

    “For what?”

    “’Till he comes to get you, or sends for you. Are they at least going to let you finish school?”

    Jade barked a bitter laugh. “No. On the off chance I’d made it to graduation without having a heat they were going to induce.” Again Dean went into volcano mode. Jade waited until the trembling died down before continuing, “I heard them calling Morningstar to give him the news while they were packing. From the sound of it he’ll be here himself in about a week.”

    “A week. We’ve got a week?”

    “Maybe less,” she admitted quietly. “They might tell me, they might not.”

    Dean turned, grabbing her shoulders, eyes burning for all his tone was desperate, “Listen to me, do whatever you can to stall, understand? Play up the exhaustion factor, say you need more time to recover, even they gatta admit the first heat’s a bitch.”

    “I don’t…why?”

    “Should ‘a told me sooner, Angel. Ain’t no such thing as fucking fate, you got that? We’ve got a shit-ton of friends in a shit-ton of places. I’ll see what I can do, but it’s still gonna take a few days, alright?”

    “What are you going to do?” she whispered, eyes wide.

    The grin he gave her was utterly wolfish. “I’m gonna royally fuck over some sons of bitches.”

    For the first time, genuine hope flickered in her chest. She leaned up, brushing her lips over his. “I’ll stall if I can, but I don’t know how much time I’ll be able to buy you.”

    “Just do what you can.” He kissed her one last time, then turned to climb up onto her desk, pushing open the window and clambering out.

    Once he was gone Jade hurridly shut the window, latching it back as he resettled the lock in its former place. The idea was they wouldn’t look hard enough to see it was broken, and he smoothed snow over it for good measure. She watched him go, then put the covering towel back into place.

    Only then did she trudge up the stairs, collapsing on the couch and curling up under a throw blanket. She used the house phone to call her mother’s cell, trying to sound as bone-weary as possible as she slurred her heat was over and it was safe to return. As soon as she hung up Jade tucked every inch under the blanket, laid down her head, and promptly went to sleep. Now that Dean was gone, the very real bone-weariness became too much.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade was rudely awoken when her family tramped in later that night, but dozed right back off again. She drifted in and out, yanked back awake every time she started to go under again, but kept her eyes closed nonetheless. Apparently her siblings had enjoyed the novelty of spending Chinese New Years in a hotel, and they’d celebrated particularly hard this year. She heard Lee snickering, saying something about waking her up, only to have their mother scold him.

_“Leave her be. The first heat is always the worst. She’s earned her keep for a time, let her sleep. Watch TV in your room.”_

    Only when they’d all moved on did the coffee table creak, and Jade cracked a bleary eye to see _Nai-Nai_ sitting next to her. A gentle hand stroked her hair, the tenderness making her eyes water. The calming, familiar scent of ginger, orange blossom, and tampered Omega musk was very different from Dean’s, but had been making her feel safe long before the Alpha. Not safe from harm, protected, more like an oasis of calm in a mess of chaos and pain.

    Leaning in a little, _Nai-Nai_ whispered softly, _“You look well for someone who’s endured their first heat alone. If you came out of it today, the house also looks very clean.”_

    Jade cracked damp eyes, peering at her blearily.

    _Nai-Nai_ only offered her a sad smile. _“I’m glad. I don’t suppose that boy is still fighting for you?”_

 _“Yes.”_ The word was a barely audible, carried on a breath, but then _Nai-Nai_ ’s ears were sharp for an old woman’s.

    She gave an approving nod, then stood.

_“I will make pot stickers. Enough so that there will be plenty left over for you. I’ll wake you when they’re done.”_

_“Thank you,”_ Jade croaked.

_“Rest, you’re going to need it.”_

    Jade didn’t protest, closing her eyes again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to seulesaffie, Karategrl80, Guest, and HenriaSownbinder!

    Apparently she’d called them on a Friday, meaning she’d spent nearly six whole days in a heat. It wasn’t just how regular the heats themselves were that was erratic for the first few cycles, it was how long they lasted. According to her friends, who’d supplied all these details in place of her parents, within a year or so things would even out so they would be more predictable. But generally heats lasted from three to six days, and only came once a year. They weren’t as sudden, either, which was nice. She’d feel it coming soon enough to get her affairs in order, or at least in theory. Unfortunately, even if an Alpha was with her it would still be draining. Her body would be burning so hot for so long it’d be tapped out by the end. She’d need rest and nutrients to properly recuperate.

    In all honesty she was surprised they let her rest as long as she did, a full twenty-four hours after they came back. Then Wang Li was demanding she make dinner and the world righted itself again. Jade was honestly afraid to ask about school, so she didn’t. She opted to just act like everything was normal until told otherwise, in hopes they wouldn’t notice.

    No such luck. She’d hurridly finished the dishes and had grabbed her backpack Monday morning, reaching for the door when her father’s voice snapped through the kitchen like a whip. _“Where are you going?”_

    Even as her heart sank, Jade turned to give him her most innocent look. _“To school. It’s Monday, I have- “_

 _“You don’t have anything anymore,”_ he told her, glaring at her from across the table _. “Morningstar will be flying in Saturday morning to collect you. You will be allowed one bag and one suitcase. Until then, you are not to leave this house for any reason, understood?”_

 _“But what about school?”_ she blurted, unable to help it. Just because she’d anticipated this didn’t make it sting any less. _“Graduation is only in a few months. And I have a test this week, the debate team has a meet on Thursday- “_

    She cut off as her father stood abruptly, chair scraping over kitchen tiles. _“Silence!”_   he barked, tone hard. _“Morningstar doesn’t care whether or not you have a diploma. He does care that you remain untouched. You have the experience, that will be enough. You will not be attending school anymore. Now go, there’s plenty of chores around the house to keep you occupied.”_ Sinking back into his chair again he added, _“Why don’t you try to polish up your cooking skills? They could use it.”_

    Swallowing thickly, gaze on the floor, Jade gave her scowling parents a wide berth and hurried back downstairs to her room. She shut her door, slamming her backpack to the floor and yanking out her battered phone. Sucking in a shaky breath, telling herself that she would _not_ cry, Jade dialed Kevin’s number. At least they hadn’t thought to confiscate it yet.

    He picked up after two rings. “How’re you feeling?”

    “They’re not letting me go back to school.” Despite her efforts, her voice still broke once.

    “Damn it,” he muttered. “They’re not letting you leave the house, are they?”

    “No.”

    “How long do you have?”

    “Saturday morning. They said he’s flying in Saturday morning. Can you…tell Dean?”

    “Yeah, yeah I’ll tell him.”

    “Do you have any idea what he’s doing?”

    “No. Haven’t seen him since he came back for his car the other day. Any idea how long until they take your phone, too?”

    “I’m not sure they’ve remembered I have it,” she admitted.

    “Okay, uh…if they do I’ll try to come by, see if they’ll let me say goodbye. The others too.”

    “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

    “What’re brother’s for? Good luck. I’ll let him know you’re alright.”

    Jade hid her phone under her mattress, then grudgingly set about cleaning the house from top to bottom just to give herself something to do. That afternoon she made dozens of little egg custard tarts, as much to keep her hands and mind occupied as to follow her father’s suggestion. At least her family seemed happy with this, enough that Wang Li even allowed her to compile a grocery list to accommodate a whole week’s worth of recipes, which she then sent Mindy to the store with it. A small, happy moment in what was turning out to be a depressing week. Particularly when her mother remembered her phone after she got home on Tuesday. When Kevin tried to come by later that day, playing the ignorant and worried friend, he didn’t get passed the doorway. None of them did.

    She wished she’d thought to call and ask about just what Dean was doing before then. Her friends rarely called her, afraid her phone might go off at an inopportune moment and possibly make things worse. It had happened twice already, and the second time she hadn’t been able to hide it. She hadn’t blamed them, it hadn’t been their fault, but they’d still felt guilty.

    Wednesday passed, then Thursday, crawling along at an agonizing pace. Another perk of school was that it had kept her busy, made things move faster, a little more painlessly. This was just mind numbing.

    Friday evening, her father came home in a particularly good mood. Jade had already spent the day doing everything short of steam cleaning the ceilings, making sure there wasn’t a speck of dust to be found in preparation for Morningstar’s arrival. She’d also been given a battered, carry on-sized thrift store suitcase that smelled like mothballs to pack a few belongings into. Not that she’d had time to pack anything. It still sat empty in the basement, looking very forlorn.

    Rubbing salt in an already aching wound, Li Jun announced that the entire family would be going out for a celebratory meal. Everyone except Jade, it still wasn’t safe for her to leave. Her mother promised to bring a meal back for her as they left, but Jade wasn’t holding her breath. _Nai-Nai_ was reluctant, but went because it was the only way they would have any motivation to pick up the epsom salts she needed.

    Jade watched them go from the living room bay window, sighing quietly. Some farewell, not that she’d expected anything different. She reached up to close the curtains, but paused when something caught her eye across the street. A large bird, a _huge_ bird really, was perched atop the neighbor’s roof. The sun was the barest hints of light on the horizon, but in the glow of streetlamps flickering to life Jade thought it looked a lot like an eagle. There weren’t exactly many of those around, let alone any so big.

    Squinting through the window, she muttered, “Cas?”

    She knew it was him then, because the eagle bobbed its head in a slow, deliberate bow, then took flight. The Omega yanked the curtains closed, frowning. They were watching her house? Why? Were they expecting Morningstar to show up early?

    Jade was wondering if she should break down and try packing a few things when a sharp knock on the back door made her jump. She had just enough time to wonder which packmate wanted her to babysit this time when a familiar voice called, “Jade, it’s me.”

    She was across the house in a heartbeat, throwing back the deadbolt and wrenching the door open. Dean slid through, shoving the door shut, locking it back with the hand not wrapping around Jade as she threw her arms around his neck. Tension she hadn’t known she’d born melted from her as she buried her nose in his chilled neck.

    “Hey, Angel,” he said, voice rasping as he hugged her back.

    “What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling back just enough to look at him. “Why was Cas watching my house?”

    “Waiting for them to leave. Need some alone time.”

    “How did you know they were leaving?” she asked, eyes fluttering as he rested his forehead against hers.

    “Your old man’s cheap, just had to arrange for them to get a groupon to a nice joint in town. They won’t be back for a few hours.”

    “What else have you been up to?”

    He finally pulled away, face serious. “Remember the McLeod’s?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Crowley had been eyeing the Knight’s pack for a while, said he owed us a favor for helping him take it over. He’s a tricky son of a bitch but no one knows Shifter law like he does, and he just so happens to be in New York. Real close to DC. He combed through everything, and Charlie was able to get her hands on a copy of your contract.”

    Jade blinked. “I didn’t know there were electronic copies.”

    “There weren’t supposed to be, but Morningstar’s a cocky dick.”

    “And?” she asked, almost not daring to hope, wolf aquiver with anticipation.

    “And he’s got an ironclad contract.”

    Jade felt herself deflate, eyes sliding closed.

    “But remember what I said about Crowley being a tricky son of a bitch?”

    She opened her eyes again, heart lifting once more when she saw the decidedly smug look on Dean’s face. “Loophole?”

    “Loophole,” Dean affirmed. “There’s one problem with a blood seal, Angel. It’s absolute, _but_ they acknowledge it’s the easiest thing to force a person to mark a contract with. If we have to take this to court, we’ve got a good case. He thinks we’d win if it came to that.”

    “You don’t think it will?”

    “No. A blood seal can’t stop a mating, Angel. Nothing can. When it comes down to it, you didn’t sign that contract of your own free will, if it goes to court under the Shifter Council they can compel your parents to tell the truth. If we combine that with a mating, and a whole damn pack to vouch for us, they don’t stand a chance. That’s why they made sure you couldn’t go digging, they knew you could weasel out of it.”

    Jade was smiling too much to kiss him, so she settled for throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tight. “Thank you, thank you! _Xièxiè, w_ _ǒ_ _de_ _à_ _i!_ _”_ she babbled, tears of joy welling in her eyes. Her wolf howled in delight, prancing victoriously. They could stay with Dean! They could keep this Alpha for their own!

    “You can thank me by letting me breathe.” The words had no heat, more amused than not, for all they did sound a bit strangled.

    She dropped back onto her feet, smiling sheepishly even as she clung to him still.

    Dean leaned down, pressing his lips to her forehead, stroking her hair. “You’re worth it, Angel. You’re _so_ fucking worth it.” He seemed to hesitate, then to Jade’s shock he sank down on one knee, taking her hands in his. “Jade, I’m not good at the whole words thing, but damn it I love you. I want to spend my life with you, I want to be able to run with you whenever we feel like it, I want to cook for you and have you fuss at me in Chinese and I’d like to eventually figure out what you’re saying. I want to take you to Moondore next month, and help you get your driver’s license, and to see you walk across that stage for your diploma, I want you to have a chance at a life you get to choose. You said I kept saving you? That shit goes two ways. You help me keep my head straight, and now I can’t see myself taking over without you. And I know I’m rambling now, but my point is…will you be my mate?”

    Jade stared at him for a long moment, then whispered, “You had me at ‘damn it I love you’.”

    She yelped, then giggled, clinging to his shoulders as he swept her up and carried her towards the basement stairs.

    “I’ve just got one condition,” the Alpha announced as he descended the stairs.

    “Condition?”

    “I want you to mate me back.”

    “You…what?”

    “You’ve heard of that, right? A mutual mating?”

    “Well yeah, but…are you sure?”

    “Never been more sure, Angel. I’ll only give you that mark if you promise to return the favor.”

    “You call that a condition?”

    Dean glanced at her face, then stopped just outside her doorway, worry creasing his brow. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

    Jade hurriedly rubbed away the tears trickling down her cheeks. “Sorry. I’m just so happy.”

    He gently set her down on the bed’s edge, cupping her face in his hands and kissing them away. When he straightened, he shrugged off his coat and eyed the door. “That thing doesn’t lock, does it?”

    “No. Why?”

    “Just ‘cause they shouldn’t be back for a while doesn’t mean I wanna rush this,” Dean grumbled.

    Jade watched as he started with the armoire, pushing it in front of her closed door with all the ease of an empty cardboard box. Then he set aside the cracked mirror and added her desk at an odd angle to make them even harder to budge. Apparently satisfied the door was successfully barred, he set about getting his boots off.

    The Omega fumbled to start shucking her layers, hole-ridden sweatpants over a pair of black tights, two layers of socks, and three different shirts. She had just flung aside the last t-shirt when Dean pounced, having had fewer layers to get through for all he’d been the one outside. In seconds her bra was in the air and fabric ripped as he impatiently tore through her panties, kissing her breathless.

    Her head fell back, gasping for air as he started kissing his way down her neck. “How-how…is it difficult to-to get a knot outside of…” She trailed off in a moan as the tip of his tongue flicked over her nipple.

    “Gatta work up to it,” he murmured against her skin. “Think it takes about three rounds.”

    Jade hummed thoughtfully, reluctantly pushing him off her chest. He let her, though he seemed a little surprised as she pushed him onto his back and climbed over him. His cock was already hard when she gave the tip a lick, getting a hitched groan from the Alpha.

    “Good idea. Come here.”

    She let herself be rotated, so her torso was over his, knees braced just passed his shoulders. Just as she wondered about this, he stroked her slit with a thumb and gave it a slow, languid lick. Her breath hitched, knees sliding back to let her hips drop to a more accessible level as she gave a quiet, “Oh.”

    A chuckle rumbled underneath her, and he dug in with gusto. Jade returned the favor, wrapping her lips around his cock. It didn’t take long for a pleasant cycle to make itself known, and she added this position to the ‘must try again’ column. As he went down on her, doing things that made her moan and whimper around his cock, she made him moan in turn, adding vibrations to the sensation she was receiving, making her moan even more. On and on it went, and despite her best efforts to hold it at bay Jade was coming mere moments after he was.

    Dean gently slid her off him, careful of the minimal space they had on her small bed, laying her on her back, a hand running up her thigh as he pushed a knee towards her chest. As nice as this was, Jade stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Um, actually do you think we could try…the thing we did before?”

    The Alpha looked confused, but sat back so she could move around a bit. This time she just turned onto her stomach, feeling a bit awkward as she settled her shoulders on the bed, shoving a flat pillow out of her way as she braced her knees and hitched them a little farther apart. She distinctly heard Dean’s breath catch, a hand resting on her flank. Traditionally this was a very submissive position, she knew, and they hadn’t done it outside of her heat. Presenting to an Alpha, offering yourself to them, the position itself meaning it would be very difficult to shake them during a coupling. Not that she would need to, but she wanted to offer herself to him, to show how much she trusted him.

    A low growl, likely as much his wolf as Dean himself, thrummed behind her. A nose brushed her thigh, a hot tongue lazily lapping at her swollen labia before the Alpha crawled over her, teeth grazing the crook of her neck as he sank into her. The Omega gave a low gasp, forehead dropping to rest on her forearms, hitching her thighs a bit wider. For the first time he nipped and sucked with abandon, throwing caution to the wind and marking her freely. As slow, languid thrusts became more earnest, Jade felt love bite after love bite being made over the back of her shoulders and neck, whimpering needily and rocking into him.

    “Dean, Dean, oh gods Dean.” The words were little more than trickled mewls, a hand palming her breast, toying with her nipple.

    This time he came before she did, which hadn’t happened often. Though it wasn’t until she felt him cum, a guttural growl in his throat, that it occurred to her nothing felt different than it usually did. It was a minute later, when he pulled out, that she was able to peek back and see what it was.

    “You came prepared,” she mumbled roughly. She hadn’t noticed him putting on the condom, but it was just as well. While heats were when an Omega was at their most fertile, the intensity and erratic nature of the first few meant it was the opposite case with them. She wasn’t worried about that, but right now was, sadly, a different case. Even so, a mating wouldn’t work with a condom. It would have to be a gamble they were both willing to take.

    “I was hopeful,” he rasped, chucking the used condom into the nearby trashcan, which was just as battered as everything else she was afforded. “How’re you holding up?”

    “Mmm, you haven’t knotted me yet.”

    “I mean do you need a break or something.”

    Jade huffed, turning herself all the way over so she could reach up, twining her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a kiss. “I’ll take a break after I get to bite you, Dean Winchester.”

    This seemed to please him, and his wolf, greatly. Both Jade and her wolf gave a pleased yip as she was jammed onto her back, hands grasping her hips, a hungry kiss enveloping her mouth. She obligingly hooked both legs around his waist, arching her hips as his stirring cock rubbed against her slit. By this point she guessed both of them were a bit oversensitive, but the closer together these things were the better chance they had of it _only_ taking three orgasms to get him to knot. They might very well be here all night otherwise.

    They did go slower this time, for all he was gripping her tight enough to bruise, but oh gods she loved it. Loved that he could mark her now all he wanted and she didn’t have to give a crap. Hell, the more marks he made the better.

    By the time he did rock inside her, he’d slowed down a little, burning eyes gazing into hers. Each movement was all tender kisses and soft, gasped words, their bodies entertained as much as was humanly possible. In that moment, the world could have ended and Jade wouldn’t have cared. It was like the day before Dean’s birthday, there was nothing else but her and Dean, and virtually no separation between the two.

    Jade’s breath hitched when she felt it. She had no idea how long they’d been like this, nor did she care. All she knew was that she was disappointed it was ending, for all the realization of what was about to happen made her heart skip a beat.

    “Dean,” she breathed, turning to brush her nose against his neck.

    “Almost, Angel,” he murmured, breath hot against her ear. “Jade, so close…Jade, Jade, _Jade….”_

    Her eyes rolled back as she felt his knot start to swell, catching inside her and putting pressure on a spot that made stars dance under her lids. A sensation made all the more intense by her own orgasm, her inner walls clamping down on his knot. Her head started to fall back, but Dean cupped the back of her skull and pressed her face into the right side of his neck. Jade cried out as teeth sank into the side of her own neck, and instinctively clamped down hard on Dean’s skin in turn.

    Blood welled in her mouth, but it wasn’t revolting as she’d thought it would be, nor was the sensation of Dean’s teeth latching onto her own flesh agonizing. Just the opposite. She felt…whole. Complete. Like her world had finally been set right when she hadn’t even known it was in disarray.

    Knots didn’t last long outside of a heat, five minutes tops. Jade held on tight until then, even though this meant she had to swallow some blood to keep from choking on it. For what it was worth, Dean did the same.

    Only when it had faded did the Alpha dislodge, lifting his head from her neck. Jade reluctantly did the same, wincing as she saw the mess that had become of Dean’s neck. He glanced around, then reached over to grab a mostly empty cup of water from the floor just under her bed, holding it up to her lips. Not to drink, but to spit out the blood, which she gladly did. Once her mouth was clear he did the same, setting it aside again. Much to Jade’s delight, he made no move to pull out of her.

    The Alpha hummed, gently licking the wound, for all it had already started to scab over. Jade returned the favor, not worried about their fast healing erasing the marks. The mix of hormones triggered by a knotting would mean the wounds would scar rather than disappear, making the silvery marks that meant a mating had taken hold. It might take a week to reach that point, but for humans it would be a whole year. In the meantime, they’d share very noticeable, double-crescent welts on their necks.

    Her lids fluttered as the orgasm high to faded in full, her head resting on the bed below her. Dean’s mouth brushed tenderly over hers, his forehead resting against the uninjured side of her neck, his breath huffing sleepily against her shoulder. Without any curfew to meet, any reason to stay awake, consciousness was quick to slip away.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    The next thing she knew, warm lips were pressing slow, gentle kisses along the side of her face. They brushed over her lids, her nose, her forehead, her cheeks. Jade stirred, but didn’t open her eyes until he’d made his way down her jaw, continuing on down her throat. Her eyes only opened, a displeased whine in her throat as she felt Dean slide out of her.

    “’Morning, Angel.”

    “Why’d you have to move?” she mumbled sleepily.

    “I wanna taste you,” he said innocently.

    Jade’s eyes slid closed, a low moan far easier to voice than protests. He was taking his sweet time, moving over her shoulders, her collar bone, her chest, pressing lazy, soft kisses over bare skin. Her breath hitched when he reached her breasts, placing one atop each nipple before moving farther south. Sternum, stomach, navel, hips, the farther he went the more twitchy she got, impatient. He rested hands on her hips, holding her steady as he made his way down her mound, placing a final kiss over her labia.

    The Omega whimpered, a hand fisting in his hair as he pulled her pussy lips apart, tongue delving into moist folds. Her back arched on the bed, heels hooking around his back, a low keen in her throat. The Alpha hummed, a hand sliding around so his thumb could massage her clit as his tongue began thrusting into her.

    “Oh gods your tongue,” she gasped, biting her lip. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, feel so good _please_ don’t stop.”

    He kept at it, merciless, until she came with a muffled cry. Jade was panting, chill banished by sheer arousal, body quivering in aftershocks, when Dean finally lifted his head. She looked blearily down at him, feeling herself blush a bit at the sight of him. Licking his lips, looking highly pleased with himself, chin and cheeks streaked with her slick.

    The Alpha hummed, crawling back over her, blanketing her in fresh warmth as she started to shiver, lightly pecking her lips. “Delicious, Angel. Fucking delicious.”

    “Um, thanks?” she said uncertainly.

    “You’re welcome.”

    Jade reached over, snatching her pillow off the floor so she could smack it over his head. Dean laughed, shoving it away so he could kiss her. The Omega had just given in, both of them giggling which somewhat ruined a kiss, when something thunked at her door.

    She froze, all humor gone, replaced by fear that had been ingrained as a knee-jerk response. Dean shushed her, sitting up and pulling her into his arms as her doorknob rattled. A fist started to bang on the wood, her mother shouting angrily, _“Li Jing! What have you done? Open the door this instant! Morningstar will arrive soon and you must be presentable.”_

    Sickening fear clinched her gut, even as Dean tipped her chin up. “Hey, look at me,” he murmured. “They can’t do anything, they can’t force you into anything, they can’t lay a hand on you.”

    She nodded, and he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

    “Get dressed,” he ordered gently. “I won’t open the door until then.”

    Jade sluggishly stood, orgasm forgotten as she fumbled for a fresh pair of underwear, throwing away the pair he’d torn off her. She fumbled to get dressed as her mother kept pounding and shouting, getting more agitated. Soon her father’s angry voice joined in, the pounding getting louder.

    Only when she’d nodded at him did Dean grip her desk, carrying it back over to the wall and letting it fall with a crash. There was a pause, then her mother demanded, “ _She wouldn’t kill herself, would she?”_

 _“With what?”_ her father quipped.

_“She wouldn’t dare!”_

    Jade was baffled as to just why Sherman sounded so offended by the notion.

    “Do I wanna know?” Dean muttered, moving her armoire in the same fashion. The two bottom drawers fell in as it hit the floor.

    She shook her head no, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. Now that she had a grip on herself, it was far easier to face them down. Her initial fear had been an instinctive response, but Dean was right, they couldn’t do anything. Technically, with his mate mark on her neck, she answered to him first and foremost. Her own father could try bringing the Alpha’s Voice down on her and it wouldn’t work. Particularly not with Dean right there. What’s more, Dean and her friends, old and new, had spent no small amount of time coaxing her out of her shell, indirectly coaching her to stand up for herself. She’d hated having to bend to her family’s whim so completely for so long, only fear of what punishment they’d bring down on her had kept her in line. With that gone, and rekindled defiance in her chest, holding her head high as Dean removed his foot from the door’s base was almost easy. It wasn’t natural for a Shifter, a _wolf,_ to remain so subservient against their will for so long.

    The Alpha opened her door, and her mother almost fell through only to stumble back, horror on her face at the sight of Dean. Shock crossed her father’s face, quickly replaced by rage. Her siblings, jostling for a space and trying to see the action, wore varying degrees of shock and dismay.

    “What are you doing here? You dare break the truce?” Li Jun blustered, drawing himself up to his full height. While he was a good deal taller than Jade, he still had to look up at Dean.

    Jade could feel her mother’s eyes on her, and knew the moment she saw the mate marks. The horror redoubled, a dismayed cry in her throat. _“What have you done?!”_

    Li Jun’s eyes followed his mate’s gaze, and his face when ashen. _“Ungrateful bitch,”_ he breathed, red starting to spark in his eyes as shock began to morph into rage.

    “What was that?” Dean asked, eyes narrowing.

    “Apparently I’m un ungrateful bitch,” Jade supplied helpfully. She delighted in the fact the words held no sting for a change. They’d gotten to where they didn’t do much anyway, but now they weren’t even flies worth swatting.

    _“How could you do this to us?”_ her mother demanded. _“How could you bring us such dishonor? We’ve done_ everything _for you! We’ve clothed you, fed you, taught you everything you needed to please an Alpha.”_

    Jade’s eyes narrowed. Suddenly she was glad they insisted on speaking a language Dean didn’t know. Chances were he’d be more offended than she was. What’s more, she could feel Dean’s heat, his presence, at her back. It made it easier to hold her ground, knowing he was supporting her.

    _“Dishonor?”_ she repeated. _“Done everything for me? What have you done for me that didn’t benefit you? That you didn’t have to?”_

    Wang Li stared at her as though she’d just been wacked between the eyes, her father no less taken aback. Even her siblings looked surprised. They’d never seen her stand up for herself like this, she realized. Head high, stepping forward to meet them head on, staring them down, tone blatantly defiant.

 _“You let my sister give me her castoffs when she got tired of them. You fed me just enough to keep me from starving. I still might have starved if my friends hadn’t picked up the slack. You taught me the worst possible interpretation of things, you kept me afraid, you kept me weak. You taught me I was nothing, I was dirt, I was only worth what I could do for an Alpha on my back, what pups I could make. I grew up thinking,_ knowing, _I was nothing, because of you.”_

 _“You dare?”_ Wang Li demanded, whispered voice raising in pitch as she took a step forward.

    “Damn right I dare!” Jade snapped, switching to English as she took a step forward of her own. She had the distinct pleasure of seeing her mother take a step back. “I am _not_ nothing. I am _not_ a bitch for you to sell off to the highest bidder. I am _not_ a slave for you to order around and beat as you see fit.”

    Holy hell that felt good. Jade actually found herself wishing they’d argue more, so she could keep going. Though at this point a quick exit before Morningstar showed up might be better.

    “You are our daughter and you will show us the proper respect,” Li Jun bit out stiffly.

    “Why should I? You’ve never shown me any. The only one in this entire family, in this entire pack that has ever shown me any love, any care, has been _Nai-Nai._ And you treat her like shit too!”

    “Watch your mouth,” Wang Li warned stiffly. “Is that what this is about? You felt rebellious, so you whored yourself out? This is why we tried to keep you close, protected. How many people have you opened your legs for?”

    “No, you are _not_ going to turn this on me. This is my body, and it’s my right to share it to who I choose. And I chose a person who’s shown me more kindness, more care, than you ever have. His pack has been more family to me than my own ever has. Dean loves me, I love him, and he is my mate. That is _not_ whoring myself out.”

    “You’re promised to Lucifer,” Lee protested, finally speaking up, coming to stand next to his father. “You gave your word. How does that not make you a lying whore?”

    A warning growl thrummed behind her. Lee took a half-step back, but Jade absently reached behind her to rest a hand on Dean’s arm, quieting the sound. “You were there. Father had to cut my hand himself and press it to the contract. I didn’t promise anything, I didn’t sign anything. The only liars here are you, and only because you promised something that wasn’t yours to give.” She paused, then asked, “Since when is he ‘Lucifer’?”

    “What’s wrong with you? Just shut up and do what you’re told,” Sherman sneered. “Why are you choosing now to be a little bitch about all this?”

    “I’m done taking your crap lying down. That’s not being a bitch, that’s growing a backbone. I hate to break it to you, but you can’t get away with slacking off anymore. I won’t be your punching bag, or your slave, or your meal ticket, anymore.”

    “You’re an Omega,” Lee snapped. “Know your place.”

    “This _is_ my place.”

    Considering how angry they looked, Jade was disappointed she didn’t see it coming. That last declaration from her did them in. Both of her brothers were surging forward, eyes flaring amber, claws sprouting as they reached for her throat.

    They never touched her. Dean was in front of her so fast he was a blur, intercepting the dual attackers with both hands. In a flash of movement, he delivered a jab to the solar plexus of each of the Chen brothers. As they made to double over, their assault stopped cold, he grabbed each of them by the throat and slammed them flat to the floor, lips curled back, eyes blazing crimson, a deadly growl in his throat. The snarled, “Stand down, douchebags,” was more animal than human. “Or I’m ripping your fucking throats out. You. Do. Not. Touch. My mate.”

    For a moment none of her family moved. Mindy froze, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, her parents going ridged. Lee stilled, amber disappearing as self-preservation kicked in. He half twisted, dropping his gaze and offering his belly as much as Dean’s hold would allow, doing everything short of urinating himself to display submission. Sherman, the more stupid of her siblings, didn’t. He bared his teeth and started spitting curses in their native dialect at the Alpha, clawed hands breaking skin as they raked at Dean’s arm, not that it seemed to faze him.

    After a few moments of this, Dean gave a weary sigh, twisting his head to look back up at Jade, face grim.

    Was he…wow. It hit her then, _really_ hit her. Here was an Alpha who was easily one of the strongest in the country, possibly more, who could do what he pleased when he pleased. Who could, and probably should, kill the idiotic scrap of Beta he was pinning down. And he was looking to _her,_ as if to ask permission to follow through with his own threat.

    It took Jade a moment to swallow the enormity of that, then she turned her gaze to Sherman. In all honesty her brother was behaving very much like one of those small, normal, yapper-type dogs. Idiotic beasts with Neapolitan complexes who were so sure they were big and bad right up until a larger dog was shaking them like a rag doll. Now that she thought about it, that was a decent enough descriptor for most of her own pack. Perhaps it was time they saw what happened when you finally challenged a true wolf who didn’t have the patients for their yapping.

    “I suppose you did warn him,” Jade said simply, mouth set in a grim line.

    Dean turned back around, releasing Lee, who wasted no time in scrambling out of reach. The Alpha shifted his hold to Sherman’s jaw, his newly freed right hand darting forward. Sherman’s snarls cut off in a gurgling cry, blood spurting in all directions. Wang Li screamed. Sherman’s limbs flailed wildly, then went still.

    Jade’s stomach flipped, but she held her ground. Dean slowly stood, the cuts on his left arm healing over, though the ripped sleeve of his shirt and jacket were still dripping with blood. More, and not his own, was dripping from his red-stained right hand. When she got a good look at what was left of Sherman, she realized Dean had followed through on his threat. He really had ripped Sherman’s throat out. He looked nearly decapitated, neck a mess of blood and gore, disconnected vertebra sticking out through the mess as though it had been grabbed.

    _Nai-Nai_ reached the bottom of the basement stairs, eyes narrowing when she saw what was left of her younger grandson. She didn’t seem upset, though. Not like Wang Li, who was staring in shock, face ashen, hands trembling in front of her mouth. Li Jun was frozen to the spot, apparently having difficulty comprehending what had just happened. Mindy wasn’t much better off.

    Dean was turning back to face her when Lee made a strangled noise. _“Bastard!”_

    Jade should have seen that coming, too. Her mouth fell open to warn her mate, but she needn’t have bothered. Dean was already swinging around, stepping into Lee’s attack with one of his own. The Beta’s assault was stopped cold, eyes going wide, a strangled sound in his throat as a wet, crunching, squishing noise came from his chest. It didn’t sound quite as she thought it would, a hand going through a person’s chest. Dean didn’t put his fist into Lee’s sternum, instead she’d glimpsed his fingers extended, tapered to a spade-like shape to drive between his ribs, bones cracking.

    “You should have stayed down,” the Alpha admonished coldly, and yanked his hand free.

    Lee fell to the floor alongside his brother. Jade gave him a long look, then looked at Mindy. Her sister had taken the wisest course of action. Rather than make a reckless attack in vengeance, Mindy was not only averting her eyes, she had backed herself up against a wall, offering neck and belly to the Alpha, and had pissed herself in a show of utter submission. _Nai-Nai’_ s face was decidedly blank as she moved aside, posture relaxed, nonthreatening. Wang Li was so pale she resembled a ghost, and as Jade watched her eyes rolled back into her skull, her body crumpling to the floor with a soft gasp.

    Li Jun didn’t make a single move to catch her, letting his mate’s skull crack against the cement floor. His eyes were red rimmed, but not throwing red sparks, pallor not much better than Wang Li’s had been. He stared first at his felled sons, then at his Omega child.

    “What have you done?” he asked at last, voice shaky. “Is this what you wanted?”

    “How can you ask that?”

    “Leave. Now. Get out of my house. You are not of my pack. You are not of my blood.”

    Jade gave him a sad smile. “I never was.”

    Dean stepped over the mess in front of her doorway, reaching his cleaner hand back to Jade. She took it, mincing over the growing pool of blood and letting him escort her up the stairs. She was still reeling over what had just happened, that they were really walking away, that she no longer had the brothers who’d delighted in causing her as much pain as possible over the years, but…it was a good sort of reeling.

    The Omega was floating at Dean’s side, following him outside the front door, only to stop as an SUV pulled into their driveway. She stiffened as Morningstar got out, but stood her ground, staring him right in the face. The older Alpha’s eyes were narrowing, flicking over Dean’s bloodied hand and clothes, then to the fresh mate marks on their necks.

    “Do I know you?”

    “You pissed off my Mom a few years ago. Mary Winchester?”

    Morningstar’s face darkened, bristling. “Winchester,” he repeated. “Looks like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I hate to break it to you, but she’s spoken for.”

    “Yeah, by me.”

    “We both signed a contract. I’ve already been making payments to her parents. You can’t touch her.”

    “It’s a little late for that. You wanna try talking to her?”

    He didn’t even spare Jade a glance. “The only reason she’s not coming with me right now is because you stuck your nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s mine, understand?”

    “I’m not your property,” Jade informed him.

    “Who said you could speak?” he asked, tone an eerie drawl, still not looking at her.

    “At least have the decency to look at me if you’re really that interested,” she snapped.

    Eyes flickering with red sparks snapped to her. “The Alphas are having a conversation, bitch.”

    “I am not _a_ bitch, nor am I _your_ bitch. A mating trumps a contract signed under duress, Morningstar. I’d say take up your grievances with my parents, but they’ve disowned me.”

    He took a step towards her, hand raising. Even as Jade flinched instinctively Dean was sidestepping, putting himself between her and the other Alpha. “I’ve killed enough people for one day, Morningstar. I’d rather not add to that but that doesn’t mean I won’t.”

    “Is that a threat, boy?”

    “More like a promise.”

    For some reason this seemed to amuse Morningstar. “You don’t really think you’re walking away with her, do you?”

    “That’s exactly what I think.”

    “You’re not. Not with her.”

    “Is that a Challenge?”

    “Yeah, it is. You want her, Challenge me.”

    Dean shook his head. “That’s not how it works.”

    “You look a little young for law school.”

    “I am her mate. If you’ve got a problem with that, you Challenge me. Or you can walk away.”

    His word choice didn’t escape her. He was her mate, _he_ was _hers._ She liked the sound of that. As an added bonus, it seemed to irk Morningstar a little more.

    “Fine, then I Challenge you. I’ll be in contact with the Shifter Council. Someone should be out here- “

    “Tomorrow.”

    Morningstar’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

    “The Council has been made aware of what’s going on. All we have to say is ‘hey, we’ve got a Challenge’, and someone’ll pop down here tomorrow morning. Nice and easy.”

    “Good. But she’s not going home with you.”

    “She’s sure as hell not gonna stay here. No one’s skipping town, unbunch those panties.” Throwing an arm around Jade’s shoulders, he guided her towards the street. “Tomorrow morning, Lawrence Arena, nine o’clock. Don’t be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xièxiè, wǒ de ài! - Thank you, my love!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to seulesaffie, Vh1015, Karategrl80, littleauror, HenriaSownbinder, and Guest!  
> I know, this one's short, but the next one's longer, promise!

    The Impala was parked in the Tran’s driveway, six blocks away. They made it halfway before it really hit Jade, what all had happened that morning. Was it really still morning?

    “How’re you holding up?” Dean asked, giving her hand a squeeze. He was holding hers with the one of his not covered in dried blood.

    “I…I’m good,” she said, surprised. “I don’t think I should be, but I am. I don’t think you’re supposed to be relieved when you’re disowned.”

    “Everything’s got exceptions.” He was quiet a moment, then in a low voice said, “I’m sorry.”

    “Sorry?” Jade repeated incredulously. “Why are you sorry?”

    She was surprised to see guilt flicker in Dean’s face as he looked away. “Didn’t think they’d disown you. Or that I’d have to kill anybody. You shouldn’t have had to see that.”

    A laugh bubbled up, spilling over her lips. Dean turned to stare at her as she stopped walking, hanging on his arm as she doubled over. She laughed and laughed until she was wheezing for air, tears welling in her eyes. When she was finally able to get ahold of herself she straightened a bit, wiping her eyes. “Why are you sorry? You’ve just given me the best gift anyone’s ever given me ten times over.”

    Dean didn’t seem upset, per say, just confused. “Uh, you’re welcome.”

    “They finally threw me out, Dean. I don’t have to answer to them, I don’t owe them anything, I don’t have anymore ties to them. That’s a blessing in itself, you have no idea. Besides, I don’t need their last name anymore, do I? I’ve got yours.”

    “Yeah, I guess you do.”

    “You don’t mind, do you?” she asked, smile faltering a little.

    “No!” he hurridly assured her. “No, hell that’s awesome. Just…wasn’t sure if you’d want to.”

    “I want to,” she promised as she started walking again. “And…I’d like to thank you. For dealing with them.”

    “You’re thanking me for killing your brothers?”

    “The only way they were my brothers was by blood, and that doesn’t guarantee anything. Kevin, Samandriel, Sam, Adam, Cas, Benny, Garth. _Those_ are my brothers. Anna, Tessa, Charlie, Meg, are my sisters.” She hesitated, wondering if she should, then decided it would do wonders for the unnecessary guilt he was carrying. “You know they…they beat me more often than Dad or anyone else. They broke my fingers to see if they could. I was their physical and verbal punching bag. When they hit puberty I heard them talking. I didn’t realize until later they were discussing the merits of using me as a test dummy, see what girls looked like, felt like. The only reason they didn’t was because their father heard them too, said if they were going to experiment then do it with someone else. Without my virginity I was worthless to an Alpha.”

    Dean had gone stock still, feet unmoving, for a brief moment his eyes went solid red.

    Jade turned, putting herself in front of him and rising up on her toes so she could grab his face, making him meet her gaze. “You did the world a favor by killing them. Me, especially.”

    “Should ‘a drug it out more,” he growled, face contorting in a snarl.

    The Omega shrugged, releasing him and tugging him on down the road. “Maybe. What’s done is done, and the world is better off for it.”

    She tried to push all thought of her family aside, and in the process recalled something she’d been avoiding thinking about.

    “Who do you think won?”

    “Won what?”

    “The bet.”

    Dean made a face. “That damn pool. I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

    “What was it up to, anyway?”

    “Since the Singer’s got in on it? A few grand.”

    Jade tightened her hold on his arm. “Wait, it’s not just this branch who was betting on this?”

    “Word got out over Christmas. Sorry.”

    “So people who haven’t even met me yet have been betting on when you’ll mate me?” she clarified.

    Dean gave her a sheepish look. “It’s kind of a hazard with big packs. If it’s any conciliation I plan on finding who all won and kicking their asses.”

    Jade snorted. “You’ve done enough ass kicking for one day. Let me do it.”

    She fully intended to follow through on that. Kevin and Ms. Tran both congratulated them when they came to retrieve the Impala, very much the proud in-laws. Jade had a feeling they called ahead, considering Dean had no sooner pulled up than people were coming out of his house. Sam and Adam ran out first, Gabriel on their heels. Mary and John followed at a more dignified pace, then Charlie and Gilda, then Benny and Andrea. Meg and Cas emerged from across the street, Claire in tow, and she could see more than one door open as heads stuck out. Apparently their homecoming was quite the sensation.

    She couldn’t quite bring herself to be angry at Kevin for warning them. Not when she was getting the warmest welcome she’d ever received. Wolves were very touchy-feely, and while the tolerance for touch had been gradually returning since her family had beaten it out of her it was still overwhelming, being glomped by enthusiastic Shifters. Sam hugged her so tight her feet were lifted off the ground, something Adam felt compelled to match. Gabriel, who was only a few inches taller than her, settled for spinning them both around, face split in a smile that made him look very much the delighted imp, gold eyes twinkling. He was a cheerful, bouncy fellow, the apparent opposite of his elder brother, but while she hadn’t spent much time around him they’d gotten along well enough. Particularly when Sam was around, which he usually was. For all he seemed to be perpetually exasperated with the younger Omega, they were practically joined at the hip.

    No sooner had Gabriel released her than John was putting an arm around her and Dean each, giving them a firm squeeze, face split in a decidedly proud smile.

    “Welcome to the family,” he rumbled, releasing them and stepping back.

    Dean pulled his father aside as Mary hugged her in turn, stepping back and holding her at arm’s length. Jade glanced over at them in time to see John’s face darken, Dean talking to him in lowered tones. Probably letting him know the battle wasn’t over just yet, and what getting them both out had cost.

    “Alright, that’s enough, give her some space,” Mary was saying, shooing away the gathering crowd of well-wishers as she pulled Jade inside. Once most everyone was out of earshot she asked, “Did you eat anything before you left? Never mind. Sit, we’ll get things straightened out after you two get some breakfast.”

    “Thank you,” she said quietly, hesitating in the doorway. “For everything. But…we ran into Morningstar when we were leaving.”

    Mary grimaced, but didn’t look surprised. “I take it he’s being a stubborn ass about this?”

    Jade nodded. “He…he Challenged Dean.”

    “When?” the elder Omega asked simply, opening the fridge and taking out an egg carton.

    “Tomorrow.”

    A jug of milk plunked down next to the eggs. “Will your family be there?”

    “I don’t have a family anymore.”

    Mary turned to frown at her, closing the fridge. “What do you mean?”

    Jade slowly explained, skimping on the details, unwilling to meet Mary’s eyes as she recounted the Chen’s reaction to their mating. How her brothers had snapped. How her father had disowned her. When she was done she was surprised to find herself encircled in a warm embrace, head tucked under Mary’s chin. Jade had never known a scent to be maternal, but over these last weeks that was what hers had begun to register as. She closed her eyes, hands resting on Mary’s back.

    “Should I apologize or congratulate you?” she asked at last.

   It got a brief smile out of Jade. “Both, I suppose.” She stepped back, guiding the younger Omega to a barstool before turning her attention back to food. “We’ll arrange for you to go back tomorrow, after the Challenge, so you can get your things.”

    “Will they let me?” Jade asked uncertainly.

    Mary smiled sweetly at her. “I wasn’t planning on giving them much choice in the matter.”

    Jade had gotten through half a dozen scrambled eggs, six slices of bacon, and was on her third pancake when Dean and John joined them, Dean sitting next to her and helping himself to the remaining food. As she’d eaten, thinking about which of her few possessions she was actually attached to, something had occurred to her. She’d held her tongue, worrying it over, reluctant to ask, but at the same time she couldn’t not.

    “Is it really worth moving?” John was asking, pouring coffee into three mugs. “You might be moving again in a few months anyway. Might as well stay put.”

    “There’s five whole houses we haven’t put anybody in yet,” Dean was protesting. “We’d just be in the smallest one.”

    “The one bedroom in the cul-de-sac?” Mary was asking, eyebrows arched. “I thought you hated cul-de-sacs.”

    “It’s the only one bedroom we’ve got left.”

    “Your father’s right, you know. You wouldn’t be there for very long.”

    John set two of the coffee mugs in front of them, taking a sip from the third. “You do realize you can’t make decisions like that on your own anymore, son. It’s not just you.”

    Dean grimaced, glancing apologetically at Jade. “Sorry. You got a preference?”

    “Not really,” she said quietly, grasping her coffee mug in both hands. Taking a steeling breath, she added, “But I do have a…request.”

    Suddenly she had the undivided attention of all three of them. They didn’t seem irritated, or weary, only honestly curious. “What kind of request?” Mary asked.

    Jade bit her lip. “I don’t want to impose, you’ve all already done so much for me.”

    “I don’t think you’re capable of imposing,” John mused, face deadpan for all his eyes twinkled.

    Emboldened, she blurted, “When we go back to get my things, could we…could we bring _Nai-Nai_ with us? I know it’s not my place to ask, but she’s an Omega too, she’s spent her whole life treated like they treated me. I was able to help her some, take her to doctor’s appointments and things, but without me there they’ll only ignore her. They’ll make her do everything I used to, all the cooking and cleaning and laundry, but she’s getting older and it’s not as easy as it used to be. Please, I…she’s the only reason I lasted long enough to meet Dean.”

    All three’s faces had darkened the more she rambled, until she finally clamped her mouth shut, waiting anxiously.

    “They even treat their elders like that?” John rumbled at last, jaw tight.

    “She’s still an Omega,” Jade answered quietly. “That’s all they see.”

    “She’s their mother,” Mary countered, looking no less angry.

    Jade shrugged weakly. “I think that’s the only reason they brought her with them, let her stay under their roof, ignore her instead of…of doing to her what all they did to me.”

    “I was wondering about that,” Dean muttered, shaking his head angrily. “I knew she was the only one who was good to you, wasn’t sure how things would pan out for her once you were gone.”

    “If she wants to join us with you, she’s very welcome to,” John told her firmly. “She can have a house of her own, or she can stay with someone else if she doesn’t want to be alone.”

    “Thank you,” she whispered tearfully. She kept saying it, but it never felt like enough. “Thank you, for everything.”

    “You’re pack,” John said simply, shrugging uncomfortably and focusing all his attention on his coffee mug.

    “It’ll be a nice change, having a daughter after three boys,” Mary mused.

    “Hey,” Dean protested around a mouthful of pancake.

    “Eat your breakfast, dear,” she told him absently sipping her own coffee.

    Jade didn’t realize she was smiling until her cheeks started to ache.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to HenriaSownbinder, Karategrl80, Vh1015, and seulesaffie!

    Mary insisted on what she referred to as their first mother-daughter outing once Jade had eaten her fill, ignoring Dean’s protests and bundling her out into the passenger seat of a blue four-door car. When Jade started to protest, she could bring _some_ things from home, assuming they hadn’t been destroyed already, her words had been ignored. Mary informed her that it was high time she was able to choose some of her own things. Besides, she might as well get what toiletries and such she’d need now. It would be less to get later, and she’d need a toothbrush anyway. She also laminated the fact Jade was in dire need of a good coat.

    Jade had forgotten it was technically Saturday until they got to the mall, which was bustling. Mary took her to a shoe store first, and after a bit of prodding the Omega tried on a few pairs she liked. She spent nearly half an hour just trying on different shoes, which was a novelty in itself. Then it was on to other stores for clothes, some of which she wore out of the shop after the tags had been cut off. A new jacket was among them, one that was warm and fuzzy and looked a lot like Mary’s. Jade had chosen one fashioned of dull black denim rather than light blue, with shearling lining.

    Twice they popped back out to the car, dumping their haul in the trunk before going back for more. Jade was plenty happy with the new clothes and not one but two new pairs of shoes, but Mary marched right back in again. Jade walked into a wall of artificial, if very pleasant scent when she was led inside a store full of various soaps, potions, bath bombs, perfumes, and hand sanitizers. Shifter’s had more sensitive noses than their human counterparts, but this particular store had half its space devoted to more mild versions of everything. She would have been perfectly fine with just getting a few things at a drugstore, but there were a few things that _did_ smell nice, very nice at that. She felt a little less guilty after Mary told her this wouldn’t be an every-trip stop, and even less still after the elder Omega picked a few things out for herself.

    From the nice smelling store they moved on to one Jade had never even considered stepping into before. Shelves and racks were full of every variety of panties, bras, lingerie, robes, and pajamas. Jade balked, cheeks heating as she wavered just inside the store, shaking her head.

    “Um, really, this isn’t necessary.”

    Mary gave her a sympathetic smile, pulling her off to the side a bit and lowering her voice. “It is. This isn’t about deserving anything, this is about finding something that’s comfortable and makes you feel good about yourself.” Lowering her voice a little more she added coyly, “And if your mate happens to like them too, that’s just a bonus.”

    Jade’s blush intensified as her newly acquired mother-in-law winked at her, then shooed her farther into the store.

    Most of her time there was spent trying on bras, yet another novelty she hadn’t enjoyed in times passed. Until now the most expensive one she’d gotten had been found at Target. Now she had all manner of foundation garments to try on until she found some that were truly comfortable and a good fit. Only then did she select a few pairs of panties in different styles to try out, and under some encouragement went to poke around the area full of nightwear that wasn’t exactly intended for modesty. She settled on two, reasoning that while they still lived with Dean’s family she likely wouldn’t be wearing them out of his room.

    It was passed one o’clock when they hit the food court for lunch, each of them getting a full tray of food. They did go by a drugstore on the way home after all, just not for as much. Toothbrush, toothpaste, pads, among other things. She also grabbed a pack of simple cotton panties, both because she had precious few pairs left that were in decent condition, and because there was absolutely no way she was going to wear her nice new panties during her period.

    Jade felt drained when they returned, which she hadn’t expected. Though she still insisted on helping remove tags and get the first load of laundry going. Apparently the rest of the household was due anyway.

    At last she dropped onto the couch, heaving a sigh, closing her eyes wearily, ignoring the racket of Adam’s video game. Her eyes flew open again when warm lips pressed to her forehead, and she looked up into Dean’s upside-down face as he leaned over the back of the couch.

    “Good news, Dad called an emergency meeting with the principle. They won’t suspend you or anything, they’ll just dump some make-up work on you Monday.”

    Jade blinked. With the whirlwind this day had become she honestly hadn’t thought about school. John had done that for her? Without prompting?

    “Really?”

    “Yep. It does wonders for your case if your Pack Alpha vouches for you.”

    “Where is he? I need to thank him.”

    She started to stand, only to be pushed back down as Dean came around to sit next to her. “He knows, he’s on a teleconference right now anyway.”

    He lifted his arm to accommodate her as she leaned her head against his chest, closing her eyes again. “I should have gotten disowned ages ago,” she mumbled drowsily.

    A chuckle rumbled in his chest, a hand stroking her hair soothingly. “Sorry we took so long to get here, Angel.”

    Jade smiled faintly, drifting a bit. She was fairly certain she did fall asleep, because Adam was gone and the video game was off the next time she became aware of things. She was about to open her eyes when she heard Dean whispering to someone.

    “Shut up.”

    “I didn’t say anything,” Benny drawled in a low whisper, tone amused.

    “You were thinking it. Go away.”

    “Need you to sign some things, chief.”

    “I’ll sign ‘em later.”

    Jade drew in a deep sigh, opening her eyes as she reluctantly dragged herself upright. “It’s fine. I’m up.”

    It seemed she had managed to lie down, half her body sprawled over Dean, who was lounging on the couch rather than sitting up. The Alpha was pouting, but reluctantly getting to his feet. Benny gave her an apologetic smile, stack of files in his hands.

    “Go, do what you need to.”

    “You sure?”

    “Yes go…Alpha something, or whatever.”

    “Is that what you think I do?” he asked, standing up and stretching.

    Tilting her head back to look at Benny she asked, “Am I wrong?”

    “Not really. There’s more paperwork than you’d expect.”

    “Yeah, yeah, yeah, damn paperwork,” Dean grumbled, taking the files.

    Jade got to her feet, going to check the laundry. Someone had already rotated things through, nothing to do there. So she moved on to the kitchen, eyeing the clock. She was surprised to realize she must have slept for an hour, at least.

    Sam was poking through the pantry, chewing on a banana. He glanced at her, asking, “You hungry? Dinner isn’t usually until six.”

    A thought occurred to her, and she asked, “Do you like spicy food?”

    “Yeah, but not as much as Dean.”

    “What about Adam and your parents?”

    “About the same. Why?”

    Jade came over to join him at the pantry. “I was thinking about making dinner. Does anyone have anything against Asian food?”

    “Nope. You wanna make dinner?”

    “Do you think that would be okay?”

    “Sure. Mom doesn’t like it much, and Dad’s idea of cooking is ordering pizza. Dean’s the only one who really likes it, but he’s busy a lot. What were you thinking of making?”

    Jade’s mouth twitched in a brief smile, remembering her first dream. “How do steak, potatoes, and pot stickers sound?”

    “You can do steaks?” he asked, perking up.

    “Of course.”

    “Awesome. But, uh, I don’t think we have those.” Sam got to the fridge before she did, poking around.

    Jade continued checking the pantry, then asked, “Where’s the spices?”

    Sam opened a cabinet, after which she checked the fridge herself, mentally making a list. “Would it be okay if I ran to the store?”

    “Sure. I think we’ve got time.”

    She hesitated, then asked, “Do you, um, no anyone with a license that’s not busy right now?”

    He gave her an odd look. “What do you mean? You can’t drive?”

    “A little. They wouldn’t let me get anything after a permit, and I’m not really comfortable behind the wheel.”

    “I can ask Garth,” Sam mused, fishing his phone from a pocket. “So you know how to drive, you just don’t like doing it?” he asked absently, thumbs tapping away at the screen.

    “Pretty much. I wish I could, I just…” she shrugged helplessly.

    “It’s fine, Dean just never mentioned it.” There was a pause, then, “He can take us. Says he was about to head over there anyway.”

    “That was fast.”

    Sam shrugged, throwing away his banana peel and making for the front door. “Either he takes all day to answer or you get him right away. There’s not much in between.”

    Jade grabbed her new jacket, zipping it up as she followed Sam out the front door. Sure enough, as they made it down the driveway a familiar, somewhat beat up car stopped in the road outside their house. She obligingly folded her smaller frame into the tighter backseat, letting Sam have the extra leg room.

    “Mary sending you guys out for a dinner run?” Garth asked brightly as he pulled down the road.

    “No, Jade’s cooking. Why’re you going?”

    “Mom’s making parmesan chicken, and we’re out of chicken and horseradish.”

    “Your Mom makes parmesan chicken with horseradish?” Sam asked incredulously.

    “No, that goes in the coleslaw.”

    Jade had learned not to ask. Garth was the sweetest dork you could possibly meet with a huge heart, but he could be a little…odd. The one time she’d met his family had proved this to be an inherited trait. As awesome as they were, the Fitzgerald’s were best enjoyed in small doses.

    At least it wasn’t far to the store, barely ten minutes. Once there Garth grabbed a basket while Jade grabbed a buggy. “So what are you guys getting?”

    “Lots of meat and flour. About a pound of potatoes, soy sauce, some ginger, some cabbage, ground pork, and habanero peppers.”

    “Is one cart going to be enough?” he asked, eyebrows arched.

    “Probably, there’s only going to be seven of us.”

    “I thought there were only six,” Jade protested, stopping to frown at him. Mary, John, Dean, Sam, Adam, and her made six, right?

    “Yeah, but Gabe comes over whenever it’s Meg’s turn to cook. Apparently hamburgers and spaghetti get boring after a while.”

    “If I need a second cart I’ll send you back for it,” she decided, pushing on.

    She went by the baking isle first, plunking two pounds worth of flour into her cart before moving on to produce. She added cabbage, ginger, and habanero peppers to the buggy, checking everything over to make sure they were to her satisfaction before putting them in produce bags. The Omega was adding bags of potatoes to her haul when Sam asked, “Don’t these things need to be shredded?”

    “Mmm?” Jade asked, looking up at him.

    “I think you can get pre-shredded cabbage.”

    “I know, but I’m used to doing it myself. Besides, I can get it finer this way.”

    “There’s some powdered ginger on the spice isle,” Garth said, jerking his thumb in that general direction.

    “It has more bite if it’s fresh.”

    “Are habanero’s like that too?”

    “Yeah, the oils are what hold a lot of the spice. If they’re dried or powdered, there’s no heat left.”

    They moved on to meat, which was a majority of their haul. Not only did she need pork to put in the pot stickers, but they needed steaks. Lots of steaks. At least grocery stores in areas with larger Shifter populations were conscientious of this, keeping larger stocks of foods than those with primarily human populations, particularly all things protein.

    Despite the fact both her cart and Garth’s basket were heaped with meat, they didn’t clear half the shelves. They transferred bags from buggy to trunk once in the parking lot, and Jade resumed her position in the backseat for the drive home. She was feeling quite pleased with herself, for all she’d tried very hard not to look at the total. Sam had a family card on him to pay for it all, and assured her it wasn’t going to be a problem. Apparently they had a very flexible food budget.

    They were coming through the front door, both weighed down by their haul, as Dean came down the stairs, brow furrowed in a frown, phone in hand. “Hey, where’d you go?” He didn’t sound upset, just a little worried. It occurred to her perhaps she should have mentioned she was going out.

    “She’s making dinner,” Sam said, grinning.

    “You don’t have to,” Dean protested, shoving his phone into a pocket.

    “I want to,” she countered, going to drop two bags laden with raw meat onto their kitchen counter.

    “Need any help?”

    Jade opened her mouth to decline, but then eyed the sack of potatoes Sam was bringing in. “Yes, actually. You can start peeling those.”

    Judging by the look on his face this wasn’t what he was expecting, but nor did he protest. Sam disappeared, leaving them to their own devices. Jade scrubbed her hands, then found a large mixing bowl. Technically you could buy wonton wrappers, premade, but _Nai-Nai_ had taught her how to make these things from scratch, and her family preferred them that way. She got to work on the first batch of dough as Dean dragged over the trashcan and settled himself on a stool with a knife next to the bags of potatoes.

    For a few minutes they worked in silence only broken by the _shnick_ of Dean’s knife and the noise one made when mixing up a dough. Unfortunately this gave her too much time to think, namely about what was scheduled to happen tomorrow. She’d managed to avoid thinking about it until now, and had been busy enough to be successful. Now, though, as she worked alongside her new mate, she couldn’t seem to think about anything else.

    “Do you, um, need to do…anything? For tomorrow?” she asked carefully.

    Dean shrugged, digging out an eye from his current potato. “Not really. Skipped a workout today, gonna let things rest, that’s about it. Why, you worried?”

    “Can you blame me?” she protested.

    “I think I can handle him. He’s got no training, from what I know about the guy he only wins because he likes to blackmail and backstab.”

    “I know you can handle him,” Jade grumbled, adding a pinch of salt to her work. “I know you’ve handled Challenges before. But I’m not going to relax until it’s over. Besides, like you just said, he likes to fight dirty. That’s what really worries me.”

    “You know you’re the only one who’s worried, right?”

    “You really think your mother isn’t worried about you going into the ring?”

    “It’s not going to be to the death or anything. She knows I can handle myself.” He was starting to sound miffed.

    Jade gripped the edges of her bowl, turning to look at him. “Dean, it’s not that I don’t trust you to win. It’s not that I don’t know full well you’re very capable of kicking his ass. But you adhere to a set of rules, if he thinks he can’t win that way, he won’t. Forgive me if I’m a little worried about my mate going into the ring with a dishonorable dick.”

    Dean stared at her a moment, and while she was very sure she saw understanding there, what he ended up saying was, “Nice to know you hate him enough to swear.”

    The Omega scowled, stirring her dough angrily. “Just, promise me you’ll be careful.”

    “I promise. Can I try some of that?”

    “No.” She smacked his hand away as he reached for the bowl. “You’ll have to wait.”

    She set the first blob of dough aside on a strip of wax paper, then made a second batch. Then she made the filling, taking a cleaver to a head of cabbage with brisk efficiency. By the time she’d started assembling the dumplings Dean was done with the potatoes and had started boiling them. Then he set out a long skillet on one counter, preheating it as he started prepping the steaks. Jade put a second pot of water on the stove, waiting for it to boil as she got the dumplings together.

    The first batch of potatoes were done by the time she could put start adding dumplings to their own boiling pot, starting the rotation as Dean rubbed spices into the steaks. Jade was fishing freshly cooked pot stickers from the water when he wandered over to a radio tucked in a corner, turning it on and flipping through the channels until he found something he liked. She shook her head, smiling, as Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ filled the kitchen.

    She was plopping the second batch of pot stickers into bubbling water as Dean started belting out the lyrics, smiling indulgently and shaking her head. He waited until she’d stirred the third batch of potatoes to twine his arms around her waist, swaying them back and forth as he continued to sing. Jade loved him, really, but…the guy couldn’t sing. At all.

    Deciding to try drowning him out, she tilted her head back and joined him. This seemed to please him greatly, lips stretching into a wide grin that made his singing even worse, arms squeezing her gently. After that the radio played ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, which she also sang along to in an attempt to drown out her mate.

    Jade was so busy keeping in tune, stirring the dumplings then fishing out the potatoes, that she didn’t notice they were drawing an audience until Dean cut off abruptly. There were only a few lines left in the song, so she finished them as she plopped the last of the potatoes into the water. Only then did she look up and around, going still as she saw his family looking into the kitchen, Gabriel among their number, grinning impishly as he held up his phone to record them.

    “What? Dinner ain’t ready yet,” Dean grouched, flipping the steaks currently sizzling on the large skillet.

    “You can sing?” Mary asking, coming in to take plates down from a cabinet.

    “Uh, yeah,” she mumbled, stirring her dumplings.

    “You’re really good, but the dying cat kind of ruins it,” Gabriel said, lowering his phone as he snickered.

    Dean shot him a withering glare, which didn’t seem to phase the younger Omega. But dinner was almost ready anyway, and his family started setting the table, getting drinks and the like. Jade heaped one large bowl full of finished pot stickers, then took a handheld beater to the mass of potatoes. There were three bowls of those when she was done, all mixed in with milk, butter, salt, and pepper. A serving platter held the steaks, which smelled absolutely mouthwatering.

    Once everyone was seated plates were quickly heaped with food, but Jade found herself holding her breath as experimental bites were taken of the pot stickers. None of them seemed opposed to them, just the opposite. After the first bite Adam and Gabriel started stuffing their faces with them, Sam and Dean and their parents experimenting with the soy sauce before they did the same. About two dumplings in Gabriel gave a faint wheeze, gulping some of his soda.

    “They’ve got a kick.”

    “Awesome, ain’t it?” Dean asked around a mouthful.

    John nodded mutely, adding some Tabasco to his soy sauce.

    Assured they liked her addition, Jade began to eat her own food. She couldn’t remember what all Dean had put on the steaks, but they tasted as good as they smelled. Better, even.

    There wasn’t a scrap of food left over when they were done, which really made Jade question just how much they’d made over Christmas to have leftovers. She found herself shooed out of the kitchen after that, as apparently there was a rule that those who cooked didn’t do the dishes. Deciding she liked this rule, she went to put the last load of laundry in the dryer, then tried to figure out just where she was going to put it all.

    She got a surprise when she went to Dean’s room. When she opened his closet, she hadn’t expected to find everything pushed to one half of it, extra hangers on the newly emptied stretch of rack. The dresser was much the same, half the drawers were full while the other half were empty. She was very sure they hadn’t been this way until recently. Touched, she went about stowing her new clothes, including her warm jacket, carefully folding things or placing them on hangers.

    She was closing the closet again when Dean came in, leaning against the doorway. “Thanks for, um, making room.”

    He shrugged, wandering into the room. “They’re right, if we go off there’s not much point in moving out yet, as much as I’d like to get us into our own space. But if we end up taking online courses we’d probably stay here.”

    “You haven’t decided yet?”

    “That’s something I wanted to talk to you about. The application window is technically open until March, you have time if you want to use it.”

    A frown crossed Jade’s face. “You mean apply for colleges?”

    “Yeah. Have you thought about it?”

    “There wasn’t much point.”

    “There is now. I know it ain’t for everybody, if you don’t want to you don’t have to, but at least consider it as a real option. You have choices now, Jade. The sky’s the limit.”

    Jade didn’t answer right away, fingering the hem of her shirt. It was warm, made of dark purple fleece, with a front pocket and a hood. One of several like it, that she wouldn’t have to layer to make them warm enough. “I don’t…what would I study? If I went to college I would want it to be something to use, to be worth getting. Like the business degree you want to get.”

    “There’s a lot that’ll fit the criteria if you look hard enough,” Dean pointed out. “What would you like to do?”

    She shrugged helplessly, laughing at the absurdity of the moment. She finally had a choice, could finally honestly consider college, but she had no idea what to do with it. “I don’t know. I supposed I’d have to go through a list of options, maybe talk to a counselor.”

    “It ain’t set in stone, either. If you change your mind you can change majors, and the first two years are mostly just general ed courses. You have time.”

    “Don’t you need SAT scores to apply?”

    “I guess. But there are a lot of people going back to school who wouldn’t have them, so there’s gatta be exceptions. Why?” As soon as he said it his face darkened. “Oh. Right. Sorry.”

    Jade sat on his desk chair, lacing and unlacing her fingers. “I’m still getting used to the fact that I’m free. That I can do something of my own choosing. That I can say what I do and don’t want to do. Between that and the deadline…I might wait until the Spring semester.”

    “Whatever you want,” he promised. “Just let me know, alright?”

    She nodded, worrying her lip thoughtfully as Dean came over to open a desk drawer. It wasn’t until he stuck it under her nose that she realized what it was, frowning as she took the small bag decorated with stars and party hats, white tissue poking out the top. As she took the bag she asked uncertainly, “What’s this? My birthday’s not for a few more months.”

    “It was the only bag small enough. Just open it.”

    Jade plucked at the white tissue, pulling it aside and reaching in to fish out something lying flat to the bottom. Her eyes widened when she pulled out a smartphone, one of the nicer, newer ones. It was protected, screen and all, the case pale red, the back etched with watercolor, Asian styled floral designs. Her breath caught, throat going to tight as she took in what she was holding.

    “This is for…”

    “You. It’s about time you had a half decent phone. It’s already got everybody’s contacts in there, including mine.” Wiggling his own phone, he added, “Can’t believe it took this long to finally get your number.”

    Jade stood, then perched on his lap so she could throw both arms around his neck, eyes burning. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ve never had anything so nice before.” As far as items went, anyway. He’d already given her far better things that didn’t exactly come with a dollar value.

    He returned her embrace, muttering gruffly, “Glad you like it, Angel.”

    Eventually she did have to leave his lap, for all they were both reluctant to separate. He intended to get up early the next morning, be very ready by the time nine o’clock rolled around. They showered, Jade enjoying the novelty of good quality soap she’d picked simply because she’d liked the way it’d smelled, but before retiring early Jade was amused to find him pillaging pie from the kitchen. She joined him, though she didn’t eat nearly as much.

    It was just passed nine when they retired, but for some time after they lay together, just talking. Jade wasn’t sure how long, but eventually she decided she should probably encourage him to get some sleep. This backfired a bit, as she made the mistake of leaning up to lightly kiss him as she murmured, “You should rest. I want you sharp tomorrow.”

    Dean hummed, following her when she tried to pull away. “I’ll be sharp. You know what does wonders for sleep? Endorphin release.”

    “Wouldn’t that be counterproductive?” she mumbled, lids fluttering as he trailed gentle kisses over her half-healed mate bite.

    “Not if we keep it to one round.”

    Jade groaned softly. She’d deliberately not worn any of the more proactive nightwear she’d gotten today, specifically to discourage this behavior, but apparently it didn’t matter. Even in a pair of baggy flannel pants and a long-sleeved shirt with Minnie Mouse on the front that was two sizes too big, he seemed very eager to get hands and mouth on her. What’s more, Jade couldn’t bring herself to stop him. She knew he needed be fresh come morning, but…just one round wouldn’t hurt, would it? Especially if it meant he was guaranteed to sleep after.

    So rather than stop him, she slid a hand under the t-shirt he had worn to bed, running it up his stomach as he ran both of his up her bare sides. Minnie Mouse was soon cast aside, the Alpha kissing his way eagerly down her bare sternum, pausing to lavish attention on each breast as he went. He only stopped when he hit her waistband, rising up to peel his shirt over his head. As he was doing that Jade leaned up, giving his boxers a yank. A low growl thrummed in his throat, but he did sit down so he could shuck them to before pulling on her pants in turn.

    The motion paused, the growl getting louder, and Jade looked down to see him staring at her underwear. Her face heated, and she propped herself up on her elbows. “I, um, thought I’d give them a try. The thong wasn’t very comfortable, but I liked these okay.” Then in an afterthought, “Please don’t rip these off.”

    The boyshort style had been easier to manage, as opposed to the perpetual wedgie a thong came with. Yes, alright, the front was appealing, but it wasn’t worth it. These were much easier to deal with, and they also happened to be fashioned of a soft, very comfortable navy-blue fabric lined with crimson lace that didn’t itch.

    Dean dipped down, kissing her mound through the pretty panties before slowly peeling them off. “As nice as these are, please tell me you stocked up on the plain cotton.”

    “Why?” she asked, watching as he slipped them down her calves and off her feet.

    Grinning up at her in the dim light, teeth glinting, a notable growl in his lowered voice, he rumbled, “I liked ripping them off.”

    Jade gulped. “Yeah, but I was thinking more about periods than getting them ripped off.”

    “Awesome.” He snagged a condom from the bedside drawer, making quick work of it and groaning a protest as she leaned up to start kissing his chest. Curious, remembering how it felt when he did it to her, she rubbed a thumb over one nipple as she flicked the tip of her tongue over the other. This got her a hiss, but not a bad one. When she did it again, a growl more wolf than human rumbled in the Alpha’s chest, making her giggle as she was pushed down onto her back. Dean tugged up the sheets over his shoulders as he crawled back over her, trapping in some of his body heat as she started to shiver, bending to kiss her so sweetly her toes curled. “No idea what you do to me,” he growled against her lips.

    Pointingly brushing her thigh against his throbbing cock she purred, “I’ve got some idea.”

    Dean groaned deep in his throat. “You’re a fucking vixen when you get out of your shell, you know that Angel?”

    “It helps if you keep reminding me,” Jade said, grinning, barely remembering to keep her voice down. Her grin disappeared as her mouth fell open in a soft moan as he pushed one knee up, sliding into her with taunting slowness. The thrusts that followed were equally slow, which was simultaneously wonderful and infuriating. “Oh gods yes, Dean, oh yeah.”

    “How is it I mated you last night but you’re still so fucking tight?” the Alpha rasped into her neck.

    Jade bit her lip, trying very hard to keep noise to a minimum, even panting. She’d seen too much evidence as to just how sensitive his family’s ears were, and while they had to know she and Dean made love she didn’t like the idea of them hearing it in action. Her hands dug into Dean’s shoulders, lids fluttering as they shared slow, lingering, open mouthed kisses. That was one good thing about this teasing pace, at least. It was easier to share kisses, gasping and moving as one.

    In the end she was very sure any benefit they might have had for turning in early was lost, and then some, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. One more night where her entire focus as on him, and his was on her, one more night where there was no one else in her growing world. One more night, before he went into the ring on her behalf.

    They were still intertwined when they drifted off some time later. Jade decided that this, this exact position, was the one she hoped to fall asleep in as often as possible. On a bed far more comfortable than the one she’d had, with plenty of room to move around. Better still, the sheets were soft, warm, so was the comforter atop it, the pillow under her head actually retaining its shape and providing some degree of support. Dean’s weight was sprawled over her, providing yet more comfort rather than making her feel trapped, his body acting as an electric blanket. Her favorite part was how he was still inside her. She felt whole, complete, on top of fully sated and everything else.

    Much to her dismay, most of this was gone when she stirred the next morning. The chill brought her back first, then the realization that she was alone again. There was nothing inside her, no one atop her. The Omega gave a low whine, feeling around, arms hitting only cold bedding as she searched for her mate. She opened bleary eyes, chest going tight when she found she was indeed alone. The sheets around her had gone cold. How long had Dean been gone? Where was he? It was barely passed six in the morning, where would he go at this hour?

    Jade was trying to tamper down instinctive panic when the door, which was cracked, swung open a bit wider, Dean stepping into the room. She slumped in relief, feeling a little guilty when she saw he carried a tray. When he saw her staring at him, a guilty smile crossed his face.

    “Hey, how long you been awake?”

    “Not long.” She pulled the comforter and sheet up around herself, tucking it under her arms to keep some of the warmth as he set the tray down in front of her on the bed. Her mate tipped her chin up, the scent of soap and deodorant reaching her as he lightly kissed her forehead. Then he passed her up her shirt, which had been pushed to the bed’s foot during their activities.

    “You didn’t have to,” she said, pulling it over her head.

    “I wanted to. I’m used to getting up early, anyway.”

    “What for?”

    “A lot of times it’s the only time to train without anyone bugging me.” He sat next to her atop the sheets, crossing his legs and picking up a plate from the tray. “Downside means I’m nodding off by, like, ten most days. They’ve found me at a desk or something a few times.”

    “I can feed myself, you know,” Jade said, for all she daintily took the bite he offered her.

    There was only one plate on the tray, and a bowl of what looked like oatmeal with blueberries on top, along with two cups of coffee. The plate was full of scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. Dean got some more of the eggs onto the fork and said, “I know. This way I know you’re eating. It ain’t healthy to be so skinny.”

    “I don’t need to get _that_ much bigger,” Jade protested, frowning as she chewed a mouthful of sausage.

    “Not eating enough can be just as bad as eating too much, especially when you’re a Shifter,” he informed her.

    “Since when are you an expert?”

    He spread his arms, grinning at her. “It took more than just a shit-ton of exercise to get like this, Angel.”

    Jade rolled her eyes, taking a chomp of the offered strip of bacon. Still, she had to appreciate the view. Dean was wearing low-riding jeans, supposedly no underwear, and nothing else. Putting lots of lightly tanned, freckled skin and flexing muscle on display. When he noticed he had her full attention, he began deliberately flexing in rhythm. She scoffed, giving him a shove, but he just laughed.

    “So it’s…” She glanced at the clock, then continued, “It’s 6:10, but you’ve already gotten up, done some training, gotten a shower, and made breakfast?”

    Dean shrugged, sipping from the second cup of coffee as she mowed her way through more bacon. “It’s a habit by now. I never lasted long after you left. Just wait, tonight I’ll be out by ten, ten-thirty.”

    “As long as you get the sleep you need I don’t see how it’s an issue. It might be funny, seeing you fall asleep when you’re trying to do something.”

    “Thanks,” he drawled sarcastically.

    “Mind your blood pressure, dear.”

    This earned her a decidedly narrow eyed look as Dean deliberately slurped his coffee.

    Jade was smiling, sipping her own coffee, when the doorbell dinged downstairs. Dean didn’t budge, apparently content where he was despite their bickering. Footsteps passed their half-closed doorway, and the Omega peeked up at John as he passed Dean’s room. He didn’t seem irritated, though, which was nice. Just shook his head and continued towards the stairs. Their doorbell dinged again before it opened.

    “Can I help you?” It was faint, but Jade could still make out his words.

    “My name is Hanna Grace, I’m the representative dispatched from the Shifter Council. I’m here for a Li Jing ‘Jade’ Chen, as I understand it she’s become the subject of a Challenge issued against your son.”

    “She’s here, but she doesn’t need an escort. We have it covered.”

    “I understand that, but we need her to be escorted from now to the end of the Challenge by neutral parties. I realize it’s early, but it is standard protocol. May I see her?”

    “Come inside, I’ll let her know you’re here.”

    Jade and Dean exchanged a look, and Jade reluctantly set aside her coffee to slip out from beneath the sheets. The Alpha pulled on a hoodie and donned his boots, then stepped out with the tray as she got dressed. As she did the clasps of a bra she heard him tell John “she’ll be down in a minute”. She tried not to linger, grabbing a pair of jeans and jamming her feet into a new pair of warm waterproof boots, pulling fleece turtleneck over her head and zipping it up to her chin. She grabbed her new jacket too, popping into the bathroom for a few quick minutes before going downstairs.

    Dean was leaning against the doorway to the living room, eyes narrowed, when she came down. A woman with shoulder length red hair stood in the space, looking very professional in a pantsuit, hands clasped before her. She turned, smiling at Jade when she saw her.

    “A pleasure to meet you Ms. Chen,” the Beta said, stepping forward to offer her hand. “I’m Hanna Grace, I’m assigned to your case.”

    Jade timidly reached out to grasp the offered hand. “Um, likewise. What does being assigned to my case mean, exactly?”

    “I will be presiding over the Challenge and reporting the results back to the Council. I will also be arranging an escort for you until a winner has been determined.”

    “Escort?” Jade repeated.

    “To ensure there’s no foul play, and to ensure you don’t disappear.”

    Jade balked. “Why would I go anywhere?”

    “It’s happened before, I’m afraid. Mostly I’m here to ensure your safety. We will be going to the police station to find two Betas to escort you at all times.”

    “Um, do they have to be random Betas?” she asked uncertainly.

    “I don’t understand.”

    “What if they were Betas who were unattached to the Winchester-Campbell pack, or the Morningstar pack? It would be to your benefit to keep me calm, right? I would be calmer, and less likely to try getting away, if I could select the Beta escorts myself.”

    Hanna raised her eyebrows. “That’s a first, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.” She took a phone from her pocket and said, “Do you have anyone in mind? I can run a check on them to make sure they’re eligible.”

    Jade considered it a moment, then asked, “Anna Milton and Gilda Fay?” She’d known the fox Shifter in passing, Gilda had been among those who hadn’t done anything to her, negative or otherwise. More recently, they’d discovered they’d gotten along relatively well, and she didn’t mind Jade spending as much time as she did around Charlie.

    It took a few minutes, during which time Dean wandered up behind her, twining his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the crook of her neck, ignoring the disapproving look this got from Hanna. At least John didn’t seem to mind, more or less ignoring this.

    Finally Hanna declared, “Both Ms. Milton and Ms. Gilda fit the requirements. Do they need to be contacted?”

    “Yeah, I can call them. Can I barrow your phone?”

    Dean lifted his head, giving her a squeeze around the waist before letting his arms fall away. “You have your own phone now, remember?”

    Jade face lit up. “I do! Right, sorry, be right back.”

    She hurried back upstairs, returning much slower as she sent her first texts. She wasn’t used to this sort of keyboard, but she eventually managed. Gilda replied first, promising to come over as soon as she was done eating breakfast with Charlie. Anna took a few extra minutes, apparently having been asleep, but insisted she was coming right over.

    “We’ll wait,” Hanna stated when she relayed the message.

    Jade fiddled with her phone, uneasy, watching as Hanna stood by their hearth, apparently content to wait right there.

    “Did he get you breakfast?” John asked, making her start.

    “Yeah, he did.”

    “Jeez, Dad, what do you take me for?” Dean protested.

    “Just checking,” the elder Alpha grumbled, folding his arms. “You get caught up sometimes, you forget things.”

    “As nice as breakfast in bed was, I don’t expect it every morning. I can feed myself.”

    “That’s not really the point,” Dean huffed.

    “I know.”

    Mary chose that time to wander in, looking like she’d just woken up, clad in a very ratty U.S.M.C. t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweatpants, looking around sleepily. “What’s going on?”

    “Shifter Council representative’s here to keep an eye on her,” John supplied.

    “I’ll get the boys up,” she said, turning to shuffle away again. Jade didn’t miss the fond smile her mate gave her as she left.

    “I thought the Challenge wasn’t until nine,” Dean pointed out, eyeing Hanna. “Why are you here at the ass-crack of dawn?”

    By now it was nearing seven, the sun was up if barely, but Jade understood the sentiment.

    “It’s to reduce the chances of complications,” Hanna explained. “We’ve had instances where the Omega slips away, one party or another tries to run away with them. This simplifies matters.”

    “Want some coffee while you wait?” Dean asked, surprising Jade.

    Apparently Hanna wasn’t used to this either, but she still said, “I suppose. If it’s not too much trouble. She will have to stay with me, though.”

    Dean shrugged, going to the kitchen. John muttered something about getting everyone up, leaving her alone with Hanna. She had just enough time to wonder why they’d left her like this when the Beta turned to look at her intently.

    “Are you acquainted with Meg?”

    “I’m sorry?”

    “Meg Masters? She joined the pack a few years ago, I believe she’s about your age.”

    “I know Meg, I’m just not sure why you were asking.”

    “She was one of my first cases. I was just wondering how she was doing.”

    Suddenly Jade remembered Dean mentioning something about some contacts should they try running to the Council. Was this what he meant? A case handler who he knew would take their side?

    “She’s good. She was actually one of my first friends in this pack.”

    “The pup was to be a daughter, right?”

    Jade cracked a smile. “Yeah, Claire. She’s really sweet, energetic, driving her parents up the occasional wall.”

    “As pups should,” Hanna chuckled. “And Castiel?”

    “Same weird dork you remember, probably,” Dean announced, rejoining them carrying a coffee mug. He caught Jade’s eye as he passed, winking conspiratorially. “Just taller.”

    “He was very sweet and trying very hard to do the right thing,” Hanna informed him, accepting her drink with a nod of thanks.

    “You can check on them yourself, if you want. They’re gonna be there. Everyone is.”

    Hanna’s eyebrows arched. “I was under the impression part of doing this so quickly was to avoid a spectacle.”

    “Yeah, but she’s got a lot of friends, and the pack’s adopted her already.”

    “So I’ve heard. You remember part of my job is to stay impartial, right?”

    “I remember.”

    As Hanna stepped to the far side of he room to take a phone call Dean leaned down, murmuring, “She’s still kinda sore Cas chose to stay with a pack instead of staying with the Council.”

    Jade gave him a sharp look, mouthing, “Why?”

    “He’s a prodigy, remember? They wanted him to be an analyst for them, offered him a pretty sweet deal, too. But he wanted a pack, a good, safe home for Meg and Claire. Family. Real family, not what they had to run away from.”

    The Omega inclined her head slowly as he moved away from her. No one knew better than she, just because someone was blood was no guarantee they were family to you. In fact her experience had shown the exact opposite. Those she had chosen, those who had chosen her, were more family to her than her blood kin ever had. She could appreciate Cas’s decision, for all she also knew why the Council had wanted him. She’d been over to their house a few times, usually to hang out with Meg while the other Omega parented her pup. There were white boards and chalk boards propped against walls, taking up most of their dining room, all filled with either obscure text or equations that were beyond anything she’d ever taken a crack at. Apparently those were Cas’s ‘brain teasers’. Books on everything from algebraic topology, to neurophysiology, to pediatric developmental phycology were everywhere. They were stacked in corners or crammed onto bookshelves, along with Dr. Seuss, Magic School Bus DVD’s, and various Disney movies.

    There were two very good reasons Jade hadn’t suggested she help manage the pack’s finances, for all she did love numbers. Her family forcing her to do all theirs had put her off it, for one. For another, Cas had already cornered that market. Jade had a feeling he was not only better at it, but that he enjoyed it more. Similar reasoning could be provided for why she hadn’t mentioned being in charge of supplies, which really didn’t leave her with much from what she could tell. But perhaps the longer she was here the more she would find.

    It took ten more minutes for Gilda to knock on their door, Charlie at her side. Another fifteen minutes passed before Anna got there, Cole’s Jeep parked by the roadside. Jade honestly wasn’t sure what Hanna intended to do after that, but no one else seemed overly worried.

    Once the Betas were there, Hanna led them outside to the shiny black rental she’d parked in the driveway. Only when all four of them were inside did Jade ask uncertainty, “Where are we going?”

    “The Council’s local outpost. They’re inspecting the arena, once it’s cleared we will move there. Sometimes there’s quite a crowd, even humans love blood sport. It’s easier if we don’t have to move you through a bunch of people, less risk.”

    “Is there always a lot of risk?” Anna asked, eyebrows arched, arms folded.

    “Sometimes.” She seemed to hesitate, then added, “I’d say it’s all a formality, considering the nature of your mate’s pack, but…Morningstar has a history.”

    Gilda grimaced. “The Council is aware?”

    “Yes, but enough people are on his side that our hands are tied more often than many of us would like.” Glancing in her rearview mirror at Anna she asked, “Your boyfriend is in R.O.T.C., correct?”

    “Yeah, why?”

    “He would also qualify as an escort. I suggest you ask him to meet us at the arena. Just as a precaution”

    Jade’s stomach turned, eyes flicking to Anna as her friend paled and took out her phone. Cole’s response was prompt, promising to be waiting for them. Depending on how their relationship had been, Jade had either been amicable with the stocky Beta or they’d both ignored each other. More recently it had been a little more amicable, for all a majority of her recent time had been around Dean’s pack.

    The local Council building wasn’t much to look at, a one-story building on the edge of woods, fashioned of sturdy cinderblock with furniture meant more to endure rough Shifters than for comfort. It was another, somewhat uncomfortable hour before it was clear to go to the arena. Only when they got there did Jade realize why.

    The arena itself was two stories of seating surrounding a circular area of grass. Said grass was freshly cut, and it looked like the arena itself had been freshly swept and washed off. It wasn’t tall, only about a dozen rows of seating, cement bleachers parted by cement walkways. The only break in this was at the northern point, a raised dais with benches separated from the rest by walls too high to jump from either side.

    Hanna brought all four of them to a back stairway, opening a heavy iron door to the dais and pulling it shut behind them, throwing a heavy bolt into place. Jade felt very odd, hoisted on a pedestal like an emperor of old, watching gladiators go at it below. But she wasn’t a Roman ruler, was she? She was a prize. They would be fighting over the right to mate her. From the sound of it this wasn’t exactly unheard of for all it wasn’t uncommon either. Even in this day and age. Two or more Alphas reduced to fighting like their animal counterparts. Frankly she hated the idea, and only because Dean was genuinely unbothered by the idea of going into the ring was she not protesting. Because she knew he was fully capable, that the risk of him losing was miniscule. Nothing was guaranteed, but the chances were minor enough even his mother seemed unbothered. What’s more, after this, between a mating and a won Challenge, no amount of lawyers or fancy talking could contest her freedom again.

    People were already starting to fill the stands, half an hour before the Challenge was due to start. She couldn’t see any sign of Morningstar or his people, which she supposed was a good thing. Everyone she saw were from Dean’s pack, or from school. Mostly Shifters, but there were a few humans too. It made her uneasy, seeing so many people gathering for this. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t for there to be standing room only by nine o’clock.

    Hanna signaled two police officers standing guard by the two entrances placed on the east and west gates, and a moment later Morningstar and Dean emerged from either side, the officers keeping pace, the idea being to ensure they didn’t charge too soon. Morningstar almost looked bored, strolling along, hands in his pockets. He wasn’t even dressed like he was taking this seriously, in jeans and a t-shirt and sneakers. It might be one thing if they were doing this in animal form, but the agreement was that the Challenge take place in their human forms, and wouldn’t be to the death, only until one yielded. Hanna had confirmed the terms this morning, while they were waiting.

    Dean, at least, looked ready for a fight. He was wearing a pair of snug exercise shorts she’d seen him wear for training, feet and hands wrapped in bandages, chest bare, raw mate mark on full display. He was swinging his arms back and forth, looking like he’d already warmed up, skin glistening under the rising sun. Was this what he looked like when he went to tournaments? When he sparred? Jade had seen him in training sometimes, but little else. There hadn’t been time. She was glad he’d taken his time, gotten warmed up, and she could see the practicality of the outfit. No extra clothes, nothing for an opponent to grab, the bandages providing some degree of protection. His whole hands weren’t wrapped, just knuckles and wrists, leaving his fingers free, similar styles done on his feet.

    When they were ten paces away from each other the Alphas and their escorts came to a stop. Hanna rose, going to stand at the dais’s edge. The chatter of the crowd fell quiet, everyone turning to stare at her. In a carrying voice she called, “This Challenge will not be to the death, only until one is incapacitated or unable to compete further. It will be in human forms only. Should either of you break these rules, you will be immediately disqualified and the other will be declared the victor.”

    She waited until both had inclined their heads in understanding to raise a hand. Both officers put distance between themselves and the Alphas, not that she blamed them. The moment Hanna’s hand came down, Morningstar lunged forward. The movement was so fast Jade never would have been able to duck, never mind easily slide away as Dean did. Compared to him Morningstar seemed clumsy, the first few attempts to grab or land blows missing by a mile.

    “Why isn’t he attacking?” Jade muttered, frowning, perched on the edge of her bench. “He’s just dodging.”

    “Maybe he’s feeling him out,” Cole supplied. He stood by, arms folded, watching what was currently a one-sided fight unfold. “You ever see him fight outside of school?”

    “Not really, no.”

    “When his temper isn’t an issue he’s real strategic about it. Look at him, he’s watching, studying. Lucifer hasn’t had any formal training but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to fight. He won’t make a real move until he’s sure. He’s almost overcautious when he’s got his head on straight.”

    “Morningstar is a clumsy, abusive bully,” Jade muttered. “He knows that.”

    “Don’t think it matters.”

    Jade’s hands were ridged, gripping her knees tightly, her wolf shifting anxiously. As they’d been talking Dean had started circling, sometimes letting Morningstar get close enough to try something. He landed a few blows, a punch here, a jab there. Dean was letting him, he had to be, which made no sense to her. Why? Why drag this out? Why take damage he didn’t have to? It sounded like the whole of Lawrence agreed with her, most of the crowd on their feet, screaming and shouting, all urging Dean on and damning Morningstar.

    After a wildly showy kick slammed into Dean’s ribs, making him stumble and the crowd as a whole cringe, Jade lurched to her feet only to sit down hard again. She thought she saw Morningstar’s lips moving before their circling put his back to her, and she distinctly saw Dean’s eyes narrow. Then his face relaxed, and he barked a laugh, lips moving in turn.

    Jade blinked rapidly, sucking in a sharp breath the moment that last strike hit. She’d thought she was just imagining things before, written it off as empathy, thinking she had felt those blows. Now she was sure of it. While she didn’t feel everything, she knew for a fact Dean had at least two cracked ribs. That faint, phantom flicker of pain in her side was too familiar, one she’d suffered herself many times before. Oh gods what was happening?

    Gilda sank down next to her, catching her shoulder, her other hand resting on the arm wrapping around her side. “Are you alright?” she asked, soft voice hard to hear over the crowd.

    “I…I thought I felt something,” Jade murmured, dazed.

    To her surprise, hazel eyes lit up. “You did? When he was struck?”

    “Yeah, but that’s not…it’s impossible. I’m just imagining it.”

    Gilda shook her head rapidly, brown hair flying, eyes glittering as she beamed. “No, I don’t think so. Have you heard anything about a mutual mating? Besides the basic meaning?”

    “No. There’s more? Why haven’t I heard about it? Why wouldn’t he mention it?”

    “Most people don’t believe it,” Gilda admitted. “It happens rarely enough. When a mutual mating takes place, and those share a strong enough bond, it becomes…corporeal, if you will.”

    “How is that possible?” she mumbled, dazed as she turned her attention back to the ring.

    “Just think about it. Don’t you feel connected?”

    Jade said nothing, watching as Morningstar landed a direct blow to Dean’s jaw. Not only did he not dodge, he didn’t so much as flinch from the strike. On one hand it didn’t sound very believable, but then she’d always believed _Nai-Nai_ when she spoke of witches back home in China. Curious now, as well as worried, she took stock of herself. It took a moment, but the Omega became aware of the decided impression there was something anchored to her sternum. She gave it a tentative prod, and was rewarded by the brief sensation of an aching jaw.

    “Oh,” she breathed, eyes wide.

    She hesitated, then focused on the bond, mentally grasping it. The ache returned, as did the one in her side from phantom broken ribs. Of more interest to her was the rage and indignation broiling at its other end, along with a few quickly-smothered sparks of fear. What was Morningstar saying? What could he possibly have to make Dean hesitate like this? No, whatever it was it wasn’t worth this. They’d deal with it after if they had to, but she would not stand by and let Dean get wailed on anymore than he had to on her behalf.

    Unable to bear this waiting any longer, Jade lurched to her feet, going to stand at the edge and bracing fisted hands on damp cement. Focusing all her attention on the bond, she gave it a sharp tug, and was rewarded by seeing her mate stumble a step, wide eyes blinking rapidly as he gave his head a shake. Emboldened, she sent a wave of raw aggression through the bond. She remembered all the times she’d felt helpless, all the times she’d wished she could do something but been too afraid to try. Most of all, she remembered the sense of desolation after Morningstar had hit her.

    The more she pumped into the bond, the more of an effect it seemed to have. It took mere seconds, then Dean was in motion, face calm for all Jade could now feel outrage to match her own broiling on his side of their bond. He moved so fast he was a blur, leaving Jade struggling to keep up. She knew he’d stepped forward, grabbing Morningstar’s latest punch mid-swing and twisting his arm up behind his back, sending him flying face first into the ground. Jade had to clap both hands over her ears as the crowd roared their approval.

    Four more times Morningstar got up. Every time he was the subject of a rapid series of blows before once more being sent flying into the wall or the ground. He was breathless, battered, and breathing hard when Dean finally planted a foot over his neck, the other Alpha on his belly on the ground after being sent tumbling no less than twenty feet through the air.

    “You done?” She couldn’t hear him, of course, but she saw his lips move.

    If Lucifer said anything, only Dean heard it. He put more weight on his foot, and after a bit of flailing, trying to dislodge Dean, the other Alpha fell limp. One of the officers came forward, grasping Dean’s wrist and holding it aloft. To say the crowd went wild was an understatement.

    Was that it? Was it over? For all she’d been on edge through it all it seemed to have gone oddly quickly.

    The officers moved away, and Dean took away his foot. He turned his back on Morningstar, turning to look up at the dais. Jade felt a tentative, probing wave through the bond, and she sent back a wave of recognition. His face lit in a smile that just made the crowd louder all over again, a smile Jade returned, surprise and joy and love and pride ricocheting through their bond. Her wolf was howling in joy, prancing in delight at seeing their mate emerge the victor.

    He had started towards her, and she didn’t need the bond to know he intended to climb up to her, when Morningstar got to his feet. At first she didn’t think much about it, ignoring him in favor of her mate. But she saw the blur as he charged Dean from behind, saw the shift coming even before the dull brown wolf erupted from his skin, charging forward. Her wolf snarled in dismayed outrage, a sound she heard escaping her own lips.

    Jade wasn’t sure if it was his own instincts that warned him, or her face, or their bond, or the outcry from the crowd. Whatever it was, she was grateful. Grateful to whatever it was that had likely saved him, making Dean twist to the side, narrowly missing the teeth snapping down where he’d been moments before.

    In a heartbeat a second, larger wolf burst forth. Hackles up, ears black, full maw of teeth on display, growl echoing through the arena. For a moment Jade had the satisfaction of seeing Morningstar hesitate, taking in the beast before him before growling anew. Gone was the playful, gentle canine her own wolf frolicked with. In its place was a very deadly, very pissed, Alpha lupine. Dean had a foot on him, easy, longer in the leg and broader in body, with far more muscle visible through much healthier fur, not to mention the pure rage in burning crimson eyes and the growl in his throat.

    Despite an apparent flicker of self-preservation, Morningstar sealed his fate when he charged forward. Dean met his charge head on, ducking his own head at the last minute to ram up under the smaller Alpha’s chest, sending him flying with a yelp. The sound was barely out of his throat when Dean was on him, teeth clamping down over Morningstar’s exposed throat, claws sinking into his belly. He struggled at first, not that it did him any good, and Dean didn’t give him the mercy of a snapped neck. He let Morningstar choke on his own blood as more of it spilled onto the grass, what looked like intestines and perhaps part of a liver coming out with it as one clawed paw disemboweled him.

    Through it all the crowd was dead silent, the Betas not intervening. Jade swallowed tightly, wondering if she should feel guilty for the wash of relief that hit her when Morningstar finally went still with one last, gurgled whine. Only then did Dean stop gouging out his organs, releasing his hold on the other Alpha’s neck and stepping back. Blood from broken arteries had sprayed over his forelegs and chest, more on his muzzle and jaw, dripping from saturated fur to the grass.

    Jade’s knees went weak, the ringing in her ears making it almost impossible to hear the crowd. It hit home then, that it was finally over. She would only have to see her family again when they went to retrieve _Nai-Nai_. Morningstar was dead, and a dead Alpha could hardly claim rights. Nor could he bother her any further. Couldn’t threaten to take her away, make her a bitch with barely rights enough to draw air.

    Dean shook himself off, then turned to lumber towards the west entrance. Jade didn’t need the bond to know he was going to wash the blood off. She found it amusing, how her Alpha was just as interested in cleanliness as she was, perhaps more. For all he’d gladly roll through the mud and train until he was covered in filth, he was always quick to jump into hot water when it was over.

    “Congratulations,” Hanna was saying, smiling at her.

    “Thank you,” she mumbled, turning away. “Can I…?”

    As soon as the Beta nodded she was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Karategrl80 and HenriaSownbinder!

    Dean was using a hose inside what looked like a small locker room to rinse the last of Morningstar’s blood from his skin when she found him. He half turned when he heard her coming, but dropped the hose when she ran across what little distance remained between them. She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own tightly around his neck, not caring about sweat or dirt or blood or water. He wrapped both arms around her, holding her tight in turn.

    “It’s over,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. “It’s finally over.”

    “Yeah. You’re mine for good, Angel,” he murmured. “Mate. _Bond_ mate.” He gave her a squeeze at that last bit, her heart skipping a beat.

    “You knew?”

    “I hoped.”

    He lowered her to her own feet, stepping back and taking his hands away. When she reached for him he pulled away, apologetic smile on his face. “I’d rather not touch you until I scrub down. Not after being covered in his blood.”

    While she’d initially faltered at his withdrawal, she grimaced in understanding at his explanation. “Do you have mouthwash, too?”

    “Oh yeah. Might need most of the bottle,” he said, turning off the water.

    She hesitated, then asked, “What was he saying to you?”

    Dean, who’d started to unwrap his hands, paused for a moment before the motion continued. “Nothing important.”

    “Don’t try to protect me.”

    Her mate grimaced, sitting down to work on the bloodied foot wrappings. “He was talking shit. Making threats if I didn’t go down.”

    “What kind of threats?”

    “You really wanna know?”

    She opened her mouth to say hell yes she did, then closed it. She had already started trying to forget the name Morningstar, and all the ilk he’d brought. “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”

    “No. Can’t say I’m disappointed he gave me an excuse.”

    “Neither am I. I’m just sorry you had to kill someone else because of me.”

    Dean snorted, standing up, bandages mostly red from blood dangling from one hand. “I’m not. I was hoping that sick bastard would break the rules so I’d have a reason to gut him.”

    Jade smiled faintly. “I think that was very satisfying for both of us. You sure you’re alright?” she asked, eyeing his ribs.

    “You kidding? I’ve gotten worse crap from amateur tournaments. He was pathetic.”

    She fell in step beside him as he made his way back out to the small army of cars parked around the arena. “Why did you let things drag out so long?”

    “I wanted to get a feel for him. Charging in blind is a death wish, especially with someone like that.”

    “I think you were a few steps beyond not charging in.”

    “So now you’re not happy with me being overcautious?”

    Jade decided to let the subject drop, instead asking, “Do you need to rest before we go get _Nai-Nai?”_

    Dean snorted, squinting as they walked out into the light. “You kidding? I’ve had morning workouts harder than that. Let me get a shower and we can round people up.”

    “Wait, how many are coming?”

    “Enough to trample them,” Benny informed her, tossing Dean the keys. He and others of Dean’s inner circle were waiting as others left in droves. Grinning, he added, “It’ll be fun.”

    “If they were banking on Morningstar to win the shock might make things better,” Meg added, grinning wolfishly.

    Jade looked around at them all, watching as Dean stuffed the wrappings into a gym bag Benny handed him, taking in the faces around her. All of them some combination of proud, pleased, and what looked a little like bloodlust. She was marveling over just how far beyond lucky she had gotten when something occurred to her.

    “You never said who won the pool,” she said abruptly.

    Sam and Adam exchanged looks, then the elder said carefully, “It was decided it might be best we not tell you.”

    Her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you let me decide that for myself?”

    “You didn’t tell me either,” Dean added, straightening.

    “Same reasons,” Gabriel chipped in.

    Jade locked eyes with Sam. “Names, Sam. Who?”

    “Not many,” he protested, shuffling his feet. “Just Eileen, Bobby, and…Mom.”

    “Mom?” Dean protested, the word sounding a bit choked.

    “Wait, _Mary_ won the pool?” Jade asked, voice raising a little.

    “Yep,” Gabriel confirmed, looking oddly pleased.

    Jade groaned, making several people laugh.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    One shower and a remarkably short period of time later, Jade watched as Dean pulled up in front of her former residence. Cas backed his pickup into the driveway, Benny doing the same with his Jeep, the two best vehicles for larger hauls. Jade had been truly touched by just how many people had insisted on joining them. Besides Dean there was Benny, Cas, Meg, Charlie, Garth, Kevin, Anna, Cole, Tessa, Samandriel, Sam, even Gabriel, though she suspected the latter had just come along to encourage mischief. All of them ridding in five different cars crowded around the Chen house, blocking the road as they piled out. They’d even brought boxes.

    Dean walked right up to the front door, grabbing the handle. It was locked, but he broke it down as though it was so much Styrofoam. Jade was right behind him, in plain view when her father came in from the living room, outrage contorting his face.

    “What are you doing in my house?” he demanded, stalking towards them.

    “Relax, we’re not staying long. Where is she?” The question was directed at Jade, who slipped around him to lead the way upstairs.

    “You are not allowed here anymore!”

    Despite his obvious outrage, a look and a warning growl was all it took to silence him. Jade was leading the way towards the stairs when her mother came out of the kitchen, clad in a mourning dress. Bloodshot eyes narrowed at the sight of her former daughter.

    _“You,”_ she hissed. “Haven’t you done enough?”

    Jade ignored her, climbing the stairs. She didn’t see any sign of Mindy, which was just as well. _Nai-Nai_ was stepping out of her room when they reached the top of the stairs, surprise crossing her face. _“What’s going on? Why are you back?”_

    Catching her grandmother’s hands, Jade insisted, “ _We came to get you. Please, come with us, they’ve agreed to take you in too.”_

    For a moment the elder Omega stared at her, then at Dean. Turning back to Jade she asked, _“You…what?”_

    “Come with us,” Dean urged, eyes intent, a hand on Jade’s shoulder. “You don’t deserve this any more than she did. Please, let us help you.”

    Dark eyes sharpened as _Nai-Nai_ ’s gaze turned back to him. “And just why would you want to help an old woman?”

    “Why wouldn’t I?” he countered. “From what I can tell you’re the only decent family she’s got. If I can I’d like to get you both the hell out of this joint.”

 _“Nai-Nai, please,”_ Jade urged, squeezing her hands. _“I don’t think we can come back a second time. Let me do this much for you.”_

    For a moment, she was afraid she’d say no. Then a familiar smile was turned on Dean. “Can I ride in that shiny car of yours?”

    Jade felt a flicker of surprise before Dean grinned. “You can ride shotgun.”

    “May I bring a few things with me?”

    “You can bring whatever you want.” Dean stepped back to the stairs, and whistled sharply. Footsteps echoed as everyone who’d been waiting just outside stampeded in. It sounded like some went directly to the basement, while others trampled up the stairs, her parents not uttering a peep.

    Benny was the first up, box in hand. He tipped his jockey cap to _Nai-Nai_ and asked, “What would you like us to pack, ma’am?”

    Jade couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard a guy address her grandmother as ma’am, but it seemed to please _Nai-Nai_ as well as fluster her a bit. Or perhaps that was just the realization she had various burly Alphas and intent Betas at her disposal. There was a trunk at the foot of her bed that held various heirlooms and tools she’d brought from China, which Dean carried down the stairs, but otherwise she only needed two boxes to hold what she wanted to keep, mostly clothes and medicinal items.

    Dean had come back up by then, and offered _Nai-Nai_ an arm to escort her out. Jade made sure he felt just how much this pleased her through the bond, smiling fondly as she followed them down the stairs. Meg was coming up from the basement by then, her mate behind her carrying a lone, large box. “We got everything except the clothes. I think it all fit in here. Anything else?”

    “No. That’s fine. Thank you….”

    She trailed off, gaping. Her friends, her new packmates, were swarming the house. Tossing random things into boxes, carrying things out. She saw Garth walk out with a sandwich in his mouth, Cole was taking out random lightbulbs, Gabriel was tossing the TV remote into a box that held little else, Sam walked out with a traditional folding screen, and she was very sure she saw Charlie walk out with a box full of socks and left shoes.

    Oh gods she loved these people. Had she really once wanted a boring mate? A boring, _human_ mate? It had made sense at the time, but she was glad she’d taken the leap that had resulted in this. A fellow Shifter who was as much a best friend as a lover, a pack who’d accepted her so wholly so quickly. Who decided to express their ire to her former family in such a delightfully petty and creative fashion.

    She shooed out everyone who was left, closing the door and heading to the Impala as Dean closed the passenger door, turning to look back at her. “We good?” When she gave him a thumbs up, he bellowed, “Move out!”

    Jade joined Sam in the backseat, not sparing her former home a second glance as they pulled away.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Monday morning, Jade woke up not to gentle kisses nor the chill of an empty bed. She did stir when she felt Dean leave the bed, barely opening her eyes as she turned towards him. Her mate gently pushed her back down, kissing her cheek and murmuring for her to go back to sleep. She went under again as quickly as she’d woken.

    The next time she woke, it was to a plate of pancakes being wiggled under her nose. She cracked an eye, sleepily surprised to find Sam crouched by the bed, plate in hand and a smile on his face. “What’re you doing?” she croaked. “What time is it?”

    “We gatta leave in about half an hour. Dean’s in the shower, he said to feed you. You like pancakes?”

    “Is he always like this?” she asked, sitting up and pulling the sheets up around herself.

    Sam grinned, straightening and handing her the plate. “Yeah. I got a cold this one time, he fussed over me for a whole week. You might want to talk to him or start getting up sooner, or this is going to keep happening.”

    “Thanks for the warning,” she said, cutting into the syrup and butter laden flapjacks.

    Once she’d eaten through the stack she pulled on her pajamas so she could take the plate downstairs. She was eating through her second batch when Dean came down, hair damp, dressed and ready, carrying both of their backpacks. He set hers next to her chair, then pecked her cheek on the way to the coffee machine.

    “Coffee?”

    “Sure.”

    He poured a second mug, adding a little creamer to it before handing it to her. Jade was sipping the hot drink when he said, “You know we gatta leave in twenty minutes, right?”

    “Sam mentioned it.”

    “What else do you gatta do to get ready?”

    “Nothing I can’t get done in ten minutes.”

    “Seriously?”

    “I’ve had plenty of practice.” She didn’t add that eating breakfast in her pajamas was something of a novelty. One she was enjoying. She was going to be busy enough today, she knew. Between the make-up work and whatever else.

    Dean didn’t press, though he did keep an eye on her as she finished off her second batch of pancakes and coffee. At least he didn’t follow her upstairs as she went back to their room, getting dressed and popping into the bathroom.

    She was downstairs with a full sixty seconds to spare, grabbing her backpack. Sam was coming down behind her, all three of them filing outside and getting into the Impala. Jade climbed in back, something Dean didn’t seem to notice until he was starting the engine.

    “What’re you doing?”

    “What?”

    “Get in back, Sammy.”

    “It’s fine,” Jade protested. “Just go.”

    She spent much of the car ride to school poking at her phone, trying to get a feel for the many apps it seemed to come with. She’d gotten rid of a few she didn’t think she’d need, and was tinkering with the options in the camera app, when Dean pulled into a parking space. Stuffing it back into her bag, she pushed open her door and climbed out.

    Jade went around the Impala’s back, absently tucking stray locks of hair behind one ear, only to freeze when she saw people starting to stare at her. Humans mostly, who likely hadn’t been to the Challenge. She’d only seen Shifter classmates in the stands.

    The Omega had taken half a step back when Dean came up beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against his side.  He gave her a squeeze, walking them both towards the nearest school doors. Sam fell in step beside them, giving her arm a nudge as they walked. It made it a little easier to bear the looks they were getting.

    “They’re staring,” she muttered as they got closer to the building.

    “Let ‘em. They’ll get over it.”

    She glanced up at Sam in time to see the freshman staring down someone she guessed to be a sophomore, who averted their eyes after a few seconds. Sometimes it was easy for her to forget just how imposing the Winchester brothers could really be. For all he was a nerdy sweetheart who could rattle off serial killer stats on command, he was also every bit as Alpha as his elder brother regardless of what form he was in. Imposing, powerful, domineering. In getting used to Dean, she’d inadvertently gotten used to the rest of his family. Once she was thinking about it, she noticed Sam was throwing off as much touchy-Alpha vibes as his brother, creating a bubble that was practically physical. And she was at its center.

    Once inside Sam split, going to his locker while she and Dean went to the main office. They confirmed she was indeed going to be allowed back without any problems, her teachers had already arranged make-up work and she got a blue slip for them to sign, as was the custom post-absence. The secretary, who had always been inclined to give her the stink eye, was all helpful smiles, even congratulating them.

    Jade had a feeling she’d become annoyed eventually, having her mate play shadow, but for now she was quietly grateful for it. Even when she kept her head down she could _feel_ them staring at her. It was quite disconcerting, regardless of what Dean said.

    Dean sat behind her in homeroom, Anna in front of her. The first thing her friend did was spin around, folding her arms over Jade’s desk and locking eyes with her. “So, are you guys gonna move out?”

    “Not right away. Why?”

    “Just wondering. My folks won’t let me move out until after graduation. It can complicate things, if you know what I mean.”

    When Jade just blinked owlishly at her Dean leaned forward and murmured, “She means we gatta keep quiet.”

    Anna grinned as she blushed, muttering, “Oh. That.”

    “Yeah, that. Speaking of _that…”_

    “No.”

    Anna pouted. “What? I’ve shown you mine.”

    “I never asked you to.”

    “Tell me it didn’t help.”

    “That’s not the point.”

    “Even if I was going to tell you something, which I’m not, I’m certainly not going to tell you here.”

    “I’m just curious. Betas don’t mate like you guys do, remember?”

    “I remember. Did I miss any tests?”

    “Just a quiz as far as I know.”

    Thankfully that was when their homeroom teacher came in, she had an excuse to exit the conversation. By the time she returned with her signed blue slip the second bell was ringing, and she slid into her desk as announcements started. Jade twirled her pencil, chin on one hand, listening. She was faintly aware of the sensation of someone playing with her hair, but she knew it was Dean and it didn’t hurt so she saw no reason to object. Only when the bell went off, and she was standing up, did she look to see what he’d done.

    “Since when can you braid?” she asked, eyebrows arched. It was loose, starting at the base of her neck, and there wasn’t anything tying it at the bottom, but everything had been parted evenly and it seemed quite neat.

    “Remember those sisters I never asked for?”

    Jade hummed, making a note to pursue this line of questioning a little later on.

    French III was a review for an upcoming test, and she was given a more condensed version of the assignments to complete between now and then. By chemistry the braid had more or less undone itself, her hair falling in concealing curtains once again. Jade got the third signature for her slip right before class started, and she tried to focus her attention on the somewhat droning lecture even more than usual. Even without the fear of punishment, it had become habit to do her damnedest in school.

    Considering she had the impression Dean had missed a day or two himself, he was far less focused. She didn’t realize how little of his attention was on keeping up until she felt his hand on her leg. Right above her knee, which was covered by one of her new pairs of jeans. Ones that fit so well she didn’t need a belt to keep them up. Something that started to worry her a bit as that hot hand began sliding higher, slowly but surely.

    Nudging one of her lower sheets of note paper out to the side, she scribbled, _‘What are you doing??’_ with her right hand, subtly switching her pencil back and forth. The last thing she wanted right now was to draw attention to them. The people at the desks to their left were both absent, the ones to their right engrossed in a movie on one of their phones. It was just as well, her cheeks were already flushing.

 _‘Having fun.’_ He didn’t budge his left hand, scribbling it out with his right, eyes barely leaving the front of the classroom.

_‘You call this fun?’_

    His hand was now where her thigh met her hip, and suddenly Jade was very glad she’d chosen one of the tunic styled hoodies today, dark red fabric that wasn’t bunching obviously as his hand slid beneath it. Thankfully, it also fell between her thighs enough to cover her crotch, even sitting. Her breath hitched as his palm slid sideways, pressing over her covered mound.

 _‘Are you insane?’_ It was shakier than the others, but at the same time she didn’t ask him to stop. Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to, for all she knew she probably should. This was indecent, it would be so easy for them to be caught, but she still didn’t stop him.

    Dean’s fingers stroked down, then back up, applying just enough pressure to make her decidedly uncomfortable. Well, uncomfortable in that she was being felt up in chemistry class. If her arousal became noticeable to anyone else she was going to _kill_ him.

    Jade held perfectly still, though she did involuntarily hitch her thighs a little wider apart. She twitched in surprise when deft fingers undid the button of her jeans, lowering her zipper slowly enough the sound was virtually inaudible. For the first time she was grateful seeing all parts of the whiteboard required a lot of leaning this way and that. If she struggled to see the teacher through all her classmates, she sincerely doubted the teacher would noticed her heavy blush as fingers slid beneath denim, stroking her parted pussy through her panties. She’d put on a bikini style pair last night, but hadn’t been able to find them again this morning in the bed so she’d grabbed a cotton pair when she’d gotten dressed. Had he noticed?

    He was wiggling his fingers under the elastic as his right hand came over, writing, _‘Cotton?’_ on their shared piece of paper.

    Jade nodded stiffly, making him grin. Her breath hitched as the pad of one finger brushed her clit, and she hurridly braced her right elbow on the counter, setting that hand over both her mouth and chin in what she hoped looked like a thoughtful gesture. Thankfully her hair added to the concealment, she made sure it fell in curtains on both side of her lap, save for where Dean’s arm disappeared  under her clothes.

    Dean’s middle finger slowly circled her clit as Jade tried very hard to focus on what Ms. Riker was saying about nucleotides, with minimal success. She settled for trying to keep up with the notes with the hand not keeping her lips shut, sucking in deliberately careful breath after deliberately careful breath. An index finger was moving farther down, leading the way for two more as Dean began stroking her opening, which was already wet. The more he stroked, the more slick there seemed to be. Enough that within a minute that middle finger was probing inside her, moving in short, gentle movements. Jade clamped her jaw shut, swallowing a whimper.

    He kept going, two fingers stroking in and out of her, occasionally withdrawing to languidly stroke her clit before delving back inside her. This was bad enough, a gradual buildup that would have had her writhing had they been in private. But then his fingers began to bear down on that one spot inside her, sending sparks flying under her lids.

    She knew right then, even as her wolf writhed and keened in pleasure, she wasn’t going to make it. If Dean sent her over the edge, she wouldn’t be able to stay still, or stay quiet. There was no way. Maybe down the road she might, but all this was still too new, she was too inexperienced. Maybe she’d never be able to, but right not that didn’t change the fact she couldn’t.

    Jade’s hand dropped from her chin and clamped down over Dean’s forearm in a death grip, fingers digging in as she held on tight. Instantly all movement stilled. The Alpha’s right hand came over, scribbling _‘U OK?’._

_‘Need to stop now.’_

    Without further protest Dean’s hand withdrew, pulling out of her pussy, leaving her underwear, reemerging into the light, fingers glistening. This made her face flame enough, but the heat redoubled as he casually braced his own elbow on the table and began to subtly, deliberately, suck his fingers clean one by one.

    No one noticed, or at least no one seemed to be when she glanced around hurridly. Was he seriously doing this? In public?

    Once his digits were slick-free, he snaked his hand back under her shirt, but only to redo her jeans, zipping and buttoning them back into place again. A breath Jade hadn’t known she’d been holding escaped her chest. For all she was still very uncomfortable, arousal throbbing between her legs, a part of her wailing in dismay, she was grateful. She would need this issue tended to before the day was out, but at least it wouldn’t be in the middle of class.

    It seemed like a miracle she was able to walk out of class like nothing had happened. Then she had to go to gym and change out, trying not to wince at all the movement against nipples gone stiff and sensitive in her bra. It was habit to change in a bathroom stall, which also did double duty as allowing her a chance to relieve herself, but today it was as much due to all that as it was to avoid notice. Somehow she’d managed to make enough slick to get her panties wet. Not soaked through, thank gods, but by a narrower margin than she would have liked.

    Jade only left the stall after trying to put a lid on her lingering arousal, cleaning herself up as best she could. Today Coach Uriel had them on volleyball, which Jade spent hanging around the safety of the out-of-bounds line. There were two nets up, for two simultaneous games with four teams. Dean ended up on the opposing game, which was just as well. Having him out of sight made it easier to forget about anything that might prove embarrassing. At least she wasn’t the target of any ‘stray’ balls, which was nice. Though she caught more than one person glaring at her, including Bela and Ruby.

    After gym Jade changed back and hurried on to calculus, beating Dean there by a narrow margin. Like the others, Billie had a packet of make-up work for her. Jade ended up alternating between working on it and taking notes, absorbed in the world of numbers. So absorbed that the bell made her jump, glancing up and around before she started hurridly stowing her things. Dean had made sandwiches this morning, lots of them. She was looking forward to that.

    Jade managed to get to her locker, stowing her books, but as she slammed the door shut arms wrapped around her from behind, warm lips pressing to her ear.

    “What about lunch?” she protested halfheartedly.

    “I gave Benny the keys, they’re getting it from the Impala.”

    “What are you going to be doing?”

    “Taking care of some unfinished business.”

    “What?” she squeaked.

    Smiling, Dean caught her hand and drew her down the hall. By this point the few people still left in this part of the school weren’t paying them any attention, which was just as well considering Dean pulled her into a janitor’s closet, locking it from the inside. Jade was fumbling for a light switch when he cupped the back of her neck, drawing her into a kiss.

    “Mmm, leave ‘em off,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck.

    “Thought you liked being able to see,” Jade gasped.

    “Not in here. It ruins the mood. Bad enough you can smell it.”

    There was indeed the decided scent of cleaner, but it wasn’t too terrible. “Why do it in here?”

    “Smell throws ‘em off. And the door locks.” Dean sank down, kneeling in front of her as he guided her back against a section of bare wall. Jade’s breath hitched as he undid her jeans for the second time that day, pulling denim and cotton down her hips. “Aw man, what’d you do?” he whined.

    “What?”

    “Where’d all your slick go?” he rasped, nuzzling her mound. “Gonna have to start all over again.”

    “I wasn’t going to chance someone not you smelling it,” Jade hissed, biting her lip as the tip of his tongue flicked over her clit.

    A brief, low growl thrummed in his throat. “I guess we can’t have that.”

    He shifted, bracing his hands under her thighs and lifting her up against the wall. When she came back down, his head was between her thighs, her pants pushed down to her knees as he settled her half on his shoulders, propped up against cool cinderblock. If he’d been anyone else she doubted he could have managed it, but he was neither a human nor your average Alpha. Not only could he do it, it seemed he could maintain it.

    Jade’s head fell back, a whimper in her throat as he kissed her labia as he did her mouth, one hand tangling in the longer parts of his hair, the other grabbing a nearby shelf. “Oh gods,” she whimpered in a hushed voice, legs clamping down around his shoulders. “Dean, Dean, please don’t stop oh _gods Dean…”_

    A hot tongue continued to pillage her folds, thrusting inside her, circling her clit, lapping at skin rapidly going slick all over again. Hands kneaded her ass, then one grasped her thigh, the other sliding up under her shirt, pushing up the cups of her bra. Fingers stroked soft skin, circling a hardened nipple, brushing over it, making it nearly impossible for Jade to keep quiet.

    When he did pull away, right hand leaving her thigh to stroke her soaked pussy, he rasped, “Want you to cum in my mouth, babe. Think you can do that? No one will hear us here, no one will see you.”

    A plaintive keen was drawn from her lips. “You’re sure?”

    “Promise.”

    “Okay.” It came out a weak whisper, followed by a gasp as fingers slowly pressed into her. There were just two of them, and they didn’t go far, but it made her whimper all the same. He worked her slowly, left hand still stroking her breasts and teasing her nipples, tongue back to its work, leaving her a panting keening mess. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, that she was letting him do this. He was going to make her cum in a school janitor’s closet, yet she couldn’t bring herself to care. The idea that he apparently couldn’t wait until they got home, or at least to somewhere more convenient, sent a thrill up her spine that made her groin all the hotter. Besides, if he said no one would see or hear them, she believed him. This little room was safe, safe enough anyway.

    Jade bit her lip, only to gasp in a sharp breath as three fingers found that special place inside her, a keening whimper in her throat as they began to massage it. She felt simultaneously helpless and terrified he’d stop, chest heaving under his touch, the few sounds of desperate pleasure she couldn’t hold in trickling through her lips.

    “Close, close, so close, please don’t stop,” she whimpered desperately. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t…oh my gods, oh my gods _Dean.”_

    Her head fell back, worn plastic creaking a protest under her hand, heels digging into her mate’s back as his fingers continued their work inside her, mouth latching over her. The orgasm made her buck, body trembling, spots dancing in her vision as she gasped for air. Dean kept going, working her through the orgasm, a pleased hum in his throat that made her face go hot. Judging by the timing, she was indeed coming in his mouth. She didn’t wish the squirting would stop, not with how much Dean obviously loved it, but it did make things messy at times. Right now it only made her face flame, realizing that hum came as he drank her dry.

    Jade had gone boneless, slumping against the wall, before he withdrew his fingers, lifting his head. Her blush returned anew as she heard him licking his fingers clean, her tiny mew of protest only earning her a chuckle. He gently lifted her back up, resettling her on her feet before kissing her tenderly, something she returned. Somehow it was more erotic than disgusting, tasting herself on him. Deciding to help him, she turned her attention to his cheeks and chin, kissing and licking away musky slick. The moment she was done her mouth was caught in a growling kiss.

    “Should ‘a waited. Gonna be harder getting through the rest of the day like this,” he rumbled, pulling panties and jeans back into place.

    “How come?” she asked breathlessly, fumbling to button and zip her pants.

    “Not sure I can wait that long,” he said with a breathless laugh.

    Jade considered that, then before Dean could turn away she sank to her knees, undoing his belt.

    “This ain’t why I told you,” he protested, though he didn’t try to stop her.

    “I know. I want to.” He was no less turned on than she’d been, his cock hard and leaking precum she licked away, getting a strangle moan from her mate. She grasped the base of his cock, stroking it as she began licking and sucking, using her own saliva to make him easier to handle.

    “Shit, Angel,” he rasped. He reached down, brushing her hair back and wrapping it around his hand, keeping it out of her way. Jade hummed her thanks, making him moan all over again. Her lips quirked up around him, before she put her attention to start working him deeper into her mouth.

    Jade wasn’t sure if it was because of her blowing him or simply because he’d already been so turned on, but it didn’t take long to make him cum. He tried to warn her, as he always did. But only once had she pulled off him, and only so she could wait with an open mouth, something that he had obviously enjoyed. This time, when he grunted a warning, tugging on her hair, she sank deeper, taking him down her throat. Her eyes watered, but she didn’t gag, she even managed to swallow around him as he came, something she was quite pleased with.

    Dean was panting as she withdrew, licking her lips, and helpfully tucking him back into his pants.

    The Omega squeaked as he lifted her clear off the floor, holding her in a warm embrace. Jade buried her face in his neck, hugging him back, giving a soft, contented sigh. Her mate held her tight, stroking her hair, murmuring, “Jade?”

    “Mmm?”

    “You’re awesome.”

    Jade chuckled. “I know.”

    Eventually they did leave, going to the cafeteria for all lunch period was mostly over. No one looked at them sideways or commented, just passed them what was left of the food. This turned out to be two sodas, eight sandwiches, and a bag of chips. Jade found herself slotted between Dean and Kevin, which she was quite happy with.

    About halfway through her food something occurred to Jade, and she decided to do some teasing of her own. Making sure her thigh was pressed against his, she leaned up a little and lowered her voice enough so that only he would hear her. “I’d like to make some suggestions of my own later.”

    Dean glanced at her, surprise and no small amount of interest flickering in his eyes. “Yeah?” The question was casual, for all it was just as low as her voice had been. “Porn or google?”

    “I think it was the October issue from a year ago?” Some sort of morbid curiosity had had her looking back through a few issues, despite her red face, when Dean had gotten roped into obligations yesterday afternoon. The October issue from last year had been home to an arrangement she’d found the most…intriguing.

    A tiny frown crossed his face as he brought his soda to his lips. “Issue of what?”

    “Busty Asian Beauties.”

    His eyes bulged, a choking sound in his throat as he did an honest to gods spit take, coughing and choking. Jade would have laughed if a truly insulted looking Cas wasn’t sitting across from him. The other Alpha was slowly reaching up, flicking some soda off his cheek and giving Dean a scathing look.

    Benny, sitting on his other side, thumped Dean hard on the back, a worried look on his face. “You okay, chief?”

    “Fine,” he croaked. “’M sorry.”

    “I’d like to know what startled you so much,” Cas quipped.

    “I think that’s between the two of them, Clarence,” Meg told him, eyeing Jade coyly. It had been her suggestion she try something like this, after all.

    Dean waited until he had his breath back, and their friends had gone back to their previous conversations before he muttered, “Don’t tell me you have a subscription.”

    “No, I…skimmed yours.” She hadn’t gone back too far yet, hadn’t had time, but she had started flipping through them as much out of genuine curiosity as because of Meg. And perhaps for inspiration.

    He stiffened, a decidedly pink shade rising under his cheeks. “Oh. You, uh, know about that?”

    Jade shrugged, chewing intently on her sandwich. “It was one of the reasons I was so hopeful that first time, you know? I thought I was your type.”

    “I can get rid of them if you want,” he offered slowly.

    The Omega considered this, then shook her head. “No. It seems a shame, considering how much time and effort you’ve put into maintaining your collection. Besides, they are indeed beautiful.”

    Dean gave her an appraising look. “Really?”

    Jade gave him a deadpan one in return. “I can appreciate them without wanting to engage with them in a sexual manner.” Feeling her face start to warm preemptively, forcing herself to maintain eye contact, she asked slowly, “Would you consider looking through them as an acceptable foreplay experimentation?”

    A familiar, broad grin that radiated pure delight lit his face.

    Lips twitching, Jade helped herself to the chips, returning to normal volume as she said, “I know, I’m awesome.”

    “Damn right you are.”

    Ignoring the curious looks her friends were giving them, Jade went back to eating in earnest.

    She was polishing off the last turkey sandwich, and Dean was flattening the empty chip bag as they made their way back towards the doors, when two sets of footsteps came towards them. They weren’t the only ones leaving so Jade didn’t think much about it, popping the last bit of sandwich into her mouth and dusting her hands off as she followed Dean into the hallway. She only hesitated when two painfully familiar Betas brushed passed her, trying to get in front of her mate enough to catch his eye.

    “Hey, wait up,” Bela called, smiling at him as she finally caught his eye. “We missed you last week, where’d you disappear to? No one seems to know.”

    “Probably because it’s none of their business,” Dean said with a shrug, not breaking stride. “How’d you miss me if you don’t know me? What’s your name again?”

    Jade honestly wasn’t sure if he was serious. Dean remembered more than he let on, but he’d also lie about it if he wanted to get under someone’s skin. Bela’s step faltered, but only for a minute, then she kept going.

    “Bela, remember? Bela Talbot? You sit next to me in English.”

    “I’m in front of you in French,” Ruby added, giving him a coy smile, though she had to keep pace to do it. Dean hadn’t stopped, or even slowed down.

    “Can I help you with something?” he asked abruptly. For all his tone was polite enough, she could tell he was annoyed. Could they?

    “We were just wondering if you needed anyone to get you the assignments you missed,” Ruby offered innocently.

    “I’m good, thanks.”

    Something occurred to Jade, and she looked at Dean’s neck. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, layered under plaid flannel and a green canvas jacket. Between their collars the lower part of his neck was indeed covered, and she hadn’t been able to reach very high when she’d given him that mate mark. It wasn’t visible right now, but surely they would have heard the talk by now. Jade sure had.

    “Alright, you’ve got us. How about we go out for coffee after school, if you’re not too busy. Our treat.”

    “No thanks.”

    “Why not?”

    Dean finally stopped, frowning at them, either uncaring or unaware of the attention they were drawing. “Even if I wasn’t busy, why are you asking me?”

    “It’s called a date, shortbus.”

    “Not gonna happen.” His prompt reply seemed to surprise them, for all it didn’t stop them either.

    “Why not?” Ruby protested, pouting prettily.

    Dean sighed wearily, then reached up to hook his fingers in his collar, pulling it aside, baring the vividly pink mate mark. Dismay crossed their faces, but not shock. They had known after all. Half vexed half amused, Jade stepped up to hook her arm through one of Dean’s, using her free hand to pull her own collar aside. Dismay turned to genuine anger as they realized the rumors were indeed true, and then some.

    “You mated _her?”_ Bela demanded.

    Her mate’s eyes narrowed at her disgusted tone, but Jade pulled him along. “Come on, ignore them,” she muttered. “They’re not worth it.”

    “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Ruby demanded.

    “Not you,” Jade said over her shoulder.

    “Hey, get your ass back here, pipsqueak.”

    Jade sighed, but slowly turned to face them, Dean at her back. “My name is Jade, Ruby. I’d appreciate it if you’d use it.”

    “Wow, bitch got a backbone,” Bela scoffed. “Are we supposed to be impressed?”

    “I don’t care either way, but my name is not pipsqueak, or bitch, or freak, or slut, or any of those other things you like to call me.” Her hands felt like they were trembling, for all her tone was steady. She was getting a high, finally standing up for herself. She almost wished they _would_ attack her, so she’d have an excuse to do something more.

    “Oh you think just because you get hitched to Dean fucking Winchester you’re untouchable?” Ruby challenged, eyes narrowed.

    “No, I- “

    “Then shut the hell up and back off, Omega whore.”

    Jade could feel Dean bristling at her back, but she reached behind her, resting a hand on his arm. “Just what are you trying to accomplish besides throwing words around? If that’s it, I have better things to do than deal with you.”

    She started to turn, but caught the movement in her peripheral. It didn’t escape her attention that Dean relaxed under her hold, which was a testament to just how quickly he was prepared to move if it even looked like they’d lay a hand on her. He could move faster if he was relaxed, ready, as opposed to ridged. As it was, Jade turned back in time to grab the arm Bela was reaching towards her, fisting her hand in the Beta’s sleeve, sliding her right foot across her path as her right arm hooked under Bela’s left. She maintained her twisting movement, dropping into a half squat as she flipped the taller female up and over her shoulder.

    Bela hit the worn linoleum hard, the sound echoing through the mostly empty hall, the air whooshing harshly from her lungs, eyes bulging. The entire process took mere seconds, and the speed seemed to be as much of a shock as the maneuver. And gods it felt so, _so_ good.

    “Bitch!” Ruby snapped, surging forward.

    Jade half turned towards the sound, which put her in the perfect position to try another throw Dean had taught her. Again she grabbed his right sleeve with her left arm, turning to put her back to Ruby completely as she hooked her left arm over her shoulders. Ruby was closer to her height than Bela was, so it was easier. From there it was the same knee-bending maneuver, hurling Ruby to the floor right on top of Bela.

    “Very nice,” Dean approved, grinning. “But when you bend your knees, do it more like you’ve got a weight on your back, don’t double over so much.”

    She was beaming at her mate when a slow clap makes her look up. Charlie was grinning so wide her eyes were scrunched up, practically giddy, Gilda at her side, their arms hooked together. Sam was coming around, dropping into a squat next to the somewhat dazed Betas, poking Ruby’s shoulder.

    “When did you teach her that?” he asked, straightening once satisfied they were conscious and mobile.

    “A while ago. Just in case. Don’t you have class?”

    “Don’t you?” Sam fired back.

    “We’ve got doctor’s appointments. See you later. Congrats on your first takedown,” Charlie said, winking at Jade and twiddling her fingers at Dean as she and Gilda headed down the hall.

    The warning bell rang, and Sam reluctantly trotted off. Jade stepped over Bela’s legs as they fought to sit up, jogging towards their English classroom. It was hard to sit still once she got there, practically vibrating in her desk.

    She’d done it. All those years and she’d finally done what she’d been too afraid to do. It had happened far too quickly for her to enjoy the moment itself, but she was giddy for some time afterwards all the same. The surge of satisfaction first as she executed the move effectively, then as she saw her felled bullies dazed and shocked on the floor. Dean’s approval was just an added bonus.

    What was left of the day passed in a blur. After social studies Jade went home with Dean, where most of her time was spent working on the make-up work she’d been provided with. Dean had his own work to handle, after which he disappeared into John’s home office to handle pack business he’d apparently put off over the weekend. Jade didn’t mind, she needed to focus.

    _Nai-Nai,_ who had chosen to share a two-bedroom house with Missouri, came by to see how her first day back had gone. Jade left out the raunchier parts, but gladly shared her interaction with Ruby and Bela, something that earned a proud smile from her grandmother. She was still settling in, but from what Jade could tell _Nai-Nai_ and Missouri were getting along. The elder Omega, who was also a bear Shifter, was exactly what she needed. Firm, no-nonsense, and devoid of a single qualm about holding her ground against stubborn Alphas. Jade hoped she’d be as good an influence for _Nai-Nai_ as Dean had been for her.

    Jade helped Mary make dinner some time later, then had to go up and fetch both Dean and John from the office. They went right back after they’d eaten, and Jade only saw him again when she was brushing her teeth. He hadn’t been kidding, he was visibly tired, lids heavy as he stumbled into the shower. She was fiddling with a reader app Samandriel had recommended on her phone when Dean trudged into the bedroom, crawling under the sheets alongside her. She was on her stomach, propped up on her elbows so she could do her fiddling with her phone plugged in. She looked down, amused, as her mate wrapped both arms around her, head nestled between her ribs and a pillow, and closed his eyes. To her surprise, within seconds his breathing patterns changed to that of slumber. He really hadn’t been kidding, had he?

    Slowly, trying not to jostle him, Jade carefully set aside her phone, then turned off the lamp. She wiggled her way down, pulling up the sheets to hold in their body heat before resting her head on a pillow, closing her own eyes. One hand absently petted his damp hair, lips twitching in amusement. One of the pictures Mary had showed her sprang to mind, which almost made her laugh. Dean had been four at the time it was taken, according to the date on its back. He was sitting at a kitchen table, grinning toothily up at the camera, face a mess from the half-eaten slice of pie in front of him. His shirt had been blue, a teddy bear on the front, with red lettering over its belly reading ‘I Wuv Hugs’. Jade had found it adorable, for all Dean had made a fuss when he’d found out what his mother was doing. What’s more, it was accurate. Or it was now, anyway. He turned into something of a touch-starved octopus when he was asleep. Annoying if she had to go use the restroom or something, but otherwise she found it endearing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to HenriaSownbinder and Karategrl80!  
> We're in the home stretch, my pretties! One more chapter to go.

    Again Jade woke to an empty bed, but as she came downstairs Mary was scrambling a skillet of eggs. Without any extracurriculars to keep her up, it was easier to get up sooner. She was munching a muffin, fresh from the oven, when Dean came in through the backdoor. Despite the chilled wind that followed him in he was shirtless, planes of bare skin covered with a sheen of sweat, more trickling down his temple, his chest heaving.

    “Hey,” he said, looking surprised to see her up and about. Then he grinned, coming in to kiss her cheek. Before he got that close Jade squeaked, raising her hands to hold him at bay.

    “No, you stink,” she complained, shooing him away. “Go get a shower first.”

    Dean pouted, but snagged a muffin and he made his way towards the stairs. Jade had eaten her fill and helped Mary clean up when he came back, smelling much better, dressed for school, backpack in one hand. Spreading his arms, he asked, “Better?”

    Jade rose up on her toes to peck his cheek. “Much. Bacon?”

    He happily accepted her offering, leaning against the counter to eat as John came in, refilling his coffee mug.

    “Did you finish that email to the McLeod’s?”

    “Yeah, send it after you proof it.”

    John grunted approval, then stepped in as Sam and Adam started to fight over the last muffin. Jade went to get ready herself, coming down as the brothers were on their way out the door. This time, when she peeked into the coolers that were going into Baby’s trunk, she found containers of potato salad and meatloaf, one cold and one hot.

    She’d gotten through most of the make-up work last night, which she turned in as she went. For all they still got looks, there were far fewer as classmates found more exciting things to hold their attention. Most did, anyway. Others, generally Omegas and female Betas who’d apparently been vying for his attention, still directed glares and scowls at her. Jade tried to ignore them for the most part, resolving that if anyone else did decide to confront her she’d deal with them as she had Ruby and Bela. She’d certainly relish the chance.

    There was no unexpected fingering during chemistry, though she wasn’t sure if this was really Dean’s call or because they were doing a lab today. For some reason he persisted in braiding her hair whenever he was sitting behind her. It wasn’t that she minded, per say, she just found it odd. And she wasn’t able to hide behind it if black tresses were pulled back in a braid. Though the more she thought about it, maybe that was why he was persisting.

    On their way to lunch Dean asked her to clarify a few things Billie had just gone over, so she told him to meet her on the roof that afternoon. After mathletes and boxing practice and AV. It would be getting late by then, but the stairwell doors were the last to be locked. Besides, hopefully it wouldn’t take long.

    Jade had just pushed her way through the heavy fire door when she was met with arms around her waist and a mouth over hers. At first she went ridged, surprised, but relaxed as a familiar scent filled her nose, a familiar mouth moving against her own. She waited until they parted for air to murmur, “Did you really need help with calculus?”

    “Nothing that won’t take more than five minutes,” he murmured against her skin.

    “Am I really that irresistible?” she asked, laughing breathlessly.

    “You’ve got no fucken’ clue,” her mate rasped, kissing her again as a cool hand slid up under her shirt.

    He was wearing black exercise pants and a gray t-shirt under his jacket, apparently having spent most of practice in the school weight room. Still, despite her protests this morning he didn’t stink. She’d heard of pheromones, but she’d never been on the receiving end of them before. Rather than being repulsed, Jade suddenly found herself eager for more. She grabbed his shoulders, one hand running up into hair still a bit damp with sweat, rocking herself against him.

    _“Need_ you,” she gasped, suckling at his neck when they parted for air. “Need you inside me, mate.”

    A feral growl rumbled in his chest, and Jade found herself pinned against the fire door, hands lifting her up until she was on eye level with him. The Alpha kissed her roughly, her legs hooking around his waist as he fumbled with both their pants. Despite how cold it was, she didn’t feel it. If anything she was burning up, in a very pleasurable fashion.

    The moment their pants were down enough both hands clamped down on her hips, holding Jade in place as he pressed inside her. Her head fell back, a gasp in her throat, which was quickly silenced with a kiss. She whimpered, clutching his shoulders and holding on tight as she returned the urgent kiss.

    “Angel,” he rasped, head dipping down as he sucked and nipped at her neck. “Mine. My mate. _Mine.”_

    “Mine,” she gasped in turn. “Dean, don’t stop, feels so good mate.”

    Jade’s eyes fluttered, body jerking in rhythm with his thrusts, both of them gasping and moving too much to kiss anymore. She only opened her eyes, whining in protest when he stopped, lifting her off his cock. Dean didn’t respond verbally, instead carrying her around the structure that sheltered the stairwell, lowering her down to the ground. Jade balked, clinging to him with all four limbs, only relaxing when she felt herself being set on a blanket. When had he done this?

    Her mate rumbled soothingly, brushing his lips over hers, then sat back to pull off her shoes and jeans, shucking his own pants and boxers, tossing them aside before crawling back over her. Jade was reaching down to try and get rid of her panties too, but Dean beat her to it. In one quick movement white cotton ripped, tossed carelessly aside as he caught her mouth with his own. Any protests were quickly forgotten as he slid back into her, lightly biting around her mate mark.

    Jade was completely absorbed, enjoying the moment, hands digging into Dean’s shoulders, nibbling at his neck in turn, when a sound made her jump. Dean shushed her roughly, kissing her forehead. “Just phone. Relax.”

    “Yours?” She didn’t recognize the ring tone. What was that? The song was slower than she was used to him listening to, not someone who’d called him while she was around before.

    “Told them not to call unless it was an emergency,” he groaned, pulling away.

    Jade whined as he pulled out, scowling while rummaging through his backpack. She sat up, wrapping her arms around his neck as he found the vibrating phone. She caught a glimpse of the caller ID before he answered, bring it to one ear. ‘Jo’.

    “Someone had better be dying,” he growled.

    She pressed her lips to his neck, then shoulder, listening to a female voice ask, “What bit your ass?”

    “What do you want, Jo?” the Alpha ground out.

    There was a beat of silence, and in a much more sober tone Jo said, “I…it’s Ash.”

    “I’m not bailing his ass out.”

    She must have known he was about to hang up, because she blurted, “Wait!” When she didn’t hear a dial tone she continued, “You know that digging you had him do?”

    “I thought he was covering his tracks.”

    “He is, but some people noticed we knew things we shouldn’t know. They haven’t done anything yet, but I just thought you should know.”

    Dean sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I figured. Thanks.”

    He hung up, tossing the phone aside and turning back to Jade.

    “Should I be worried?” she asked as he pulled her back into his arms.

    “No. They’re not worth the brain power to worry,” he mumbled.

    “You sure?”

    “Very.”

    Assured the interruption wasn’t worth it, Jade kissed him back. When he started to lay her back down, she pulled away so she could get on her hands and knees, earning a pleased growl from her mate. Jade grinned, arching back into him as he laid over her, a hand sliding under her shirt as he rocked into her. The hand not braced on the blanket undid her bra, making it easier and more comfortable for her as he palmed her breast.

    She doubted this would be the first interruption they would have, and honestly she was surprised they hadn’t had one yet. She was just glad this particular call hadn’t interfered enough to ruin the mood and oh _gods_ that felt good. As he settled into a rhythm fingers came down to slip between her folds, rubbing her clit before moving back to her breast. Back and forth he went, making her mewl and whimper, torn between rocking into his thrusts and his touch.

    “Beautiful,” he rasped, breath hot against her neck. “You like that, Angel? Feel so fucking good.”

    Jade nodded rapidly, gasping as his cock grazed what the internet had informed her was a g-spot. “Yeah, yeah, oh gods yeah. Don’t stop, Dean, please don’t stop.”

    “No way in hell,” he growled.

    She came first, but only by a few seconds. As it was she was reduced to a whimpering, keening mess, arms shaky as she came on his cock. He kept going, still stroking her clit, voice a husky rasp in her ear all through it. “That’s it babe, cum on my cock. Cum all over me. Soaking the fucking blanket, so damn hot. Atta girl, cum for me, keep coming.”

    Jade felt her face burn through it all, for all it just seemed to make her cum harder. No sooner was she finally coming back to herself than his rhythm went unsteady, and she smiled as he came just as hard. Her inner muscles were still pulsing, if less intensely, but she tried to clamp down on him as he came. She wasn’t sure how well it worked, but it made her mate snarl all the louder in her ear.

    It took a while before they reluctantly got up, folding up the blanket with evidence of their love making and lurching down three flights of stairs. As it was Jade was very content to lay against him, nestled against his side, his arms around her as they came down from their mutual high. They didn’t talk, but they didn’t need to. Just being with him was more than enough. When they did leave, it was only because she’d started to shiver, and the sun had almost disappeared completely.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    By Thursday it occurred to Jade that Dean intended to make up for their lack of nighttime activity during the day. Not that she could consider it much at the time, seeing as her epiphany happened when he joined her in the shower that evening. She’d known he’d come into the bathroom, but as she was rinsing shampoo from her hair he pulled the curtain back, stepping into the shower with her, making her jump.

    “What’re you doing?” she protested.

    “Getting while the getting’s good,” he said, pulling her out from under the spray and bending her back into a kiss that could have been straight out of a romance novel. “I’m guessing I’ve got an hour before I crash, babe. Wanna make the most of it.”

    “Wasting hot water,” she grumbled, but didn’t put serious effort into stopping him.

    “Last ones in,” he reminded her.

    Anything else she might have said was cut off in a gasp. Water wasn’t as effective as slick, but she decided she liked the extra friction as fingers slid inside her. Her thighs spread a little more as she whimpered, only to yelp as her back was pressed against cold tile. He silenced her with a kiss, lips turned up in a smile.

    “Ass,” she gasped when they parted.

    “I’m your ass,” he said, completely unrepentant.

    “Only if you would kindly fuck me already.” She didn’t even blush when she said it, for all it wasn’t said very loud.

    “Ma’am, yes ma’am,” he rasped.

    Her breath hitched as he slid inside her, lifting her against the wall, her legs hooking around his waist, her arms around his shoulders. She felt a little more precarious here, still half under the spray, their bodies opaque through the steam-clouded curtain, and the water might be treacherous, but she did trust Dean, and he did seem stable. So rather than worry about falling, she tilted her head back and enjoyed the novelty of this shower sex she’d heard so much about.

    By the time he was done, Jade had to clamp both hands over her mouth, smothering her cry as she came hard, left to whimper into his neck as he continued to thrust into her through his own orgasm. Sadly, you traded novelty for the comfort of just being able to collapse after, and she still had most of a wash to complete. This turned out to not be the downside she’d thought it to be, Dean proving her wrong for the second time that afternoon. He helped her rub conditioner into her hair, then all but purred as she massaged shampoo into his scalp. They rubbed bodywash into each other’s skin, exchanging the occasional slow, tender kiss as they moved together, not really getting in each other’s way, just enjoying the moment, the company. He even dried her off tenderly, absently kissing freshly dried skin.

    For all he turned into an unconscious cuddle monster the moment he was in bed, right up until that point his entire attention was devoted only to her. She’d caught the look in his eyes more than once, the heated tenderness enough to make her breath catch. She tried to return it, she wasn’t sure how successful she was but he didn’t say otherwise. As they lay in bed that night, her mate sleeping soundly at her side, it hit Jade afresh that this was the rest of her life. An Alpha who looked at her like she was everything, who adored her, sentiments she shared. That was on top of a pack who’d accepted her as their own, a family, a real family.

    How in the hell had she gotten so lucky?

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually watched the Magic School Bus. She was sure a few teachers had shown tapes during class, but it had been years. Over a decade. She was trying to focus, really, but it was almost impossible. At least Claire was entertained, staring with rapt attention as Ms. Frizzle piloted the morphed school bus through space. Meg was lounging opposite her, booted feet propped up and crossed, attention more on her magazine than the TV. For all that, Jade knew both she and Cas were as tensed up as she was. Meg had been reading that article for the last fifteen minutes and Cas had been staring blankly at the same equation on the living room’s whiteboard for over half an hour. The only reason she was here, not at the Winchester’s, was because most of them had gone to DC, to oversee operations  and reluctantly do the obligatory paperwork. A small price to pay for what they were about to accomplish.

    At some point it occurred to Jade she’d fallen into an odd cycle she’d sometimes found herself in during particularly droning classes. Focusing so hard on trying to pay attention that she wasn’t actually paying attention, realizing this and refocusing only to have it happen again. She was in the middle of wondering what might have gone into making a spacesuit for a chameleon when Cas’s phone went off, making everyone but Claire jump.

    Jade jumped to her feet even as the Alpha answered, barely into the first few seconds of the ringtone. “Dean?” There was a pause, then he held out the phone, putting it on speaker as Meg paused the show.

    “What happened?” Jade asked, coming to stand by him.

    “We got ‘em,” Dean reported. “The Council has the whole place on lockdown, anything that douchewheel ever touched is frozen or flagged, they’re going over everything with the mother of fine-toothed combs.”

    “Did you find them?” Jade urged.

    “Yeah, yeah we did,” her mate promised. “They’re out, they’re getting medical attention, everybody’s fine.”

    Meg, who’d joined them, asked, “Were the rumors true?”

   There was a pause, then a tired sounding, “Yeah, they were true. Seven Omegas. I’m not gonna lie, they’re shell-shocked, not in the best shape, but they’re getting some serious help. They’re getting iron-clad asylum, and Hanna’s putting people she trusts on digging into their families.”

    Jade’s legs buckled, relief hitting her like a physical blow. Hanna had been a little more inclined to go after Morningstar once he was dead, particularly after Cas had backed their request. It had taken time, getting the resources together, weeding out those who had been paid off, but Hanna was good at what she did. Today a raid had been scheduled for Morningstar’s estate, to find and remove any Omegas he had. Supposedly the older ones had been sold off to others, more had been in line to be bought, but there was always at least half a dozen on hand. Apparently that much had been true. But they were getting out now, getting help. The Council would ensure they’d have the best doctors, both for their bodies and their minds, would keep them safe from being sold off like chattel again. Hanna had promised her that.

    Dean finished the debriefing and hung up, promising to be home by midnight, in time for school, per Mary’s orders. They’d be staying a few more days. By the time the line had disconnected, the weak-kneed effect had turned to bubbly, giddy energy. A sound built in her throat, coming out in a wordless squeal of joy as Jade impulsively threw her arms around Meg.

    “We did it! We did it, we did it, _we did it!”_ she shrieked, jumping around in a circle.

    Meg laughed, squeezing her back. “You bet your- “

    “Language,” Cas interjected.

    “-your butt we did it,” Meg corrected. Jade could _hear_ her rolling her eyes.

    Still giddy, she released Meg and jumped up so she could throw both arms around the Alpha’s neck, feet bending back off the floor. “Thank you! I can’t believe we did it!”

    Cas chuckled, hugging her back, as pleased and relieved as they were. Generally glomping another Omega’s mate was a strict no-no, but Meg didn’t care, and as a rule Shifters were touchy-feely creatures. Particularly wolves. Jade had recovered to the point she was starting to give hugs rather than just accept them. Avian’s tended to be more aloof, but Cas had been in a pack so long they’d converted him some time ago.

    As Jade was deposited back onto her own two feet Claire asked uncertainly, “Omegas got saved?”

    _“_ _Shì,_ _”_ Jade chirped. She swept Claire off the floor, making the pup squeal and giggle as they danced around the living room.

    She hadn’t thought it be so freeing, going out of her way to make sure Morningstar’s other victims got out. But they’d weighed on her, and the more she thought about it the more she realized she couldn’t simply walk away. Not if she actually had a prayer of being able to do something. So she’d talked to Dean, who’d talked to Cas, then to John. Within a week they were going out to DC for the raid.

    They were free. Not only would Morningstar not hurt anyone else, but his victims would finally get the treatment they deserved. Not to mention his empire was being dismantled and scrutinized brick by brick.

    Jade was going to sleep _very_ well tonight, of that she was sure.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    “You got this,” Dean promised. “Just one more time before your test.”

    “I’m not taking my driving test in the Impala.”

    “Yeah, but the extra practice couldn’t hurt.”

    “I thought you didn’t like letting people drive her.”

    “You’re not people, you’re my mate. Start the damn car.”

    Jade made a face, reaching up to crank the engine. Mary had let her use her car for much of her driving practice, though both her mate and John insisted she also learn how to drive a stick shift. It had been over a month now, since she’d mated Dean, and since then she’d spent a lot of time getting comfortable behind the wheel. Mary would send her on errands, or go with her places, sometimes John would too, anything to get her behind the wheel. She’d even been driving herself to her own doctor’s appointments, of which there were many. Jade hadn’t really had one before, and she hadn’t been to a dentist in years. She’d been touched, especially since the second doctor Mary took her to was an OBGYN. She walked away from that particular appointment with several answered questions and prescriptions for both heat suppressants and birth control. She hadn’t have any cavities, shockingly, and the GP declared her to be in good health, if underweight. She got a lot of I-told-you-so’s after that one.

    Much to Dean’s dismay, Jade was partial to the automatic shift, for all she could drive Baby well enough. She put the Impala into gear, pulling slowly out of the driveway. They weren’t going far, just to the store for some milk and eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast, but still.

    She saw Dean reaching for the radio in her peripheral vision as she pulled out of the neighborhood, but only said, “Don’t.”

    “What? You’ve gatta get used to it,” he pointed out, turning it on anyway.

    “After I get my license. I don’t need the extra distractions right now.”

    “Zep ain’t a distraction.”

    Jade sighed, glancing in her rearview mirror before she applied the brakes.

    “What’re you doing?” Dean protested as she slowed to a stop.

    Sitting back and folding her arms, Jade informed him, “I’m not moving until you turn that off.”

    Dean, knees bent up a bit more than they usually were in Baby’s front seat, glared at her. She could only reach the peddles if the seat was up this far. “You’re being childish.”

    “No, I’m dealing with a child. I think you can live without your precious music for five minutes. I’m not asking for permanent abstinence, just long enough for me to get more comfortable behind the wheel.”

    “You’re blocking traffic.”

    “What traffic?” A car had gone by the other way, but so far there was no one coming up behind them. Not that she’d budge if one did. Sometimes when dealing with a bull-headed person, one had to be bull-headed in turn. She didn’t raise her voice, made sure her face remained passive, not giving his temper anything to feed on, and just waited.

    “Why are you being so stubborn about this?”

    “Why are you?” she countered.

    Scowling, Dean flicked off the radio. “Happy?”

    Jade gave him her sweetest smile, resettling her hands at ten and two, and took her foot off the brake. “Yes. Thank you.”

    Dean grumbled, drumming his fingers on the open windowsill. Jade ignored him, focusing on the road. She’d learned early on that she couldn’t give too much credit to things like this. They’d just walk all over her otherwise, whether they really meant to or not. There was malicious behavior, like that displayed by her family, and there was ignorant or uncaring behavior, which was far easier to bear. She found herself welcoming it, especially now that she was emotionally and mentally equipped to handle it. Particularly when the bottom line was that they did care about her, Dean loved her, faults and all. A sentiment she returned wholly.

    Jade waited until she’d pulled into a parking spot outside the grocery store to ask, “Do we need anything besides milk and eggs?”

    “Don’t think so.”

    Resisting the urge to ask if he’d like to ride in a cart, Jade took one of the smaller ones with two layers and set off towards the cold section. Dean trailed behind her, but not for long. He split away when they were passing produce, and she stopped to see what he was doing. A minute later the Alpha returned, setting a bunch of bananas in the top layer.

    When she raised questioning eyebrows at him, he shrugged and said, “Forgot Sam was out.”

    And Sam did like his bananas. Two were part of his breakfast most mornings, and he liked adding them to his peanut butter sandwiches. Dean split off again when they passed the cereal aisle, getting boxes of John’s corn flakes and Adam’s Fruit Loops. There was just enough left on the top for two large cartons of eggs, and she put the two gallons of milk on the bottom. He stopped twice more as they made their way to check out, getting Mary’s favorite creamer and Jade’s preferred granola bars. On a whim Jade turned down the isle of candy and condiments, making Dean frown.

    “What do we need here?”

    The Omega didn’t answer right away, stopping to get a bottle of spicy ketchup from one shelf and a bag of licorice on another. Glancing back at him she said simply, “You’re taking care of everybody else, someone’s got to take care of you.”

    An odd look crossed his face, but he didn’t comment. He was quiet as they checked out, and on the ride home, but he didn’t seem irritated anymore. He even complemented her on her parking as she carefully pulled in behind Mary’s car.

    The next day, Monday, she was scheduled to take her driving test. Mary let her drive her car, since it was the one she was most comfortable with. Both she and Dean went with her, though at his mother’s behest Dean reluctantly waited outside as they went in. Despite being on the docket Jade still had to take a number and wait twenty minutes before they were seen and began the paperwork. By then she’d been reminded why she hated having to come to the DMV.

    From the moment Jade got into the car with the kind if no-nonsense Beta she felt on edge, but oddly alert. She drove around a bit, stopping, starting, turning, accelerating, breaking. After a U-turn and a K-turn she was directed back to the DMV, parking in one of the spaces outside. Only then did the Beta deliver her verdict.

    They went back inside, and it took a few minutes more to finalize everything, taking her picture, having her sign off on it. Jade was walking on air as she and Mary left, giddy with joy and relief. Dean shrugged off the wall he’d been leaning against, arms spreading and brows raising in question.

    Jade beamed, bouncing the last few steps to him and jumping to throw both arms around his neck. “I passed!” she said, all but squealing the words in delight. “She said I did really well!”

    Arms wrapped around her as she was spun in a circle, her mate laughing. “I knew it! Congratulations, Angel, you earned it.” He set her down again, kissing her forehead and giving her shoulders a squeeze.

    “Want to drive us home?” Mary asked, offering her the keys.

    “Sure!”

    John was in the driveway with Adam when they got home, the pup practicing free-throws. Both turned towards them, the elder Alpha’s face breaking into a proud smile when Jade got out of the driver’s seat.

    “Let’s see it,” he said, tossing the ball back to Adam.

    The Omega held her new license proudly aloft, and John grinned, coming around to clap her on the back hard enough to make her stumble a step. She straightened, pushing her hair back as Dean complained on her behalf. “I’m fine,” she promised, patting his arm.

    “I’m thinking…O’Reilly’s,” his father mused, eyes twinkling.

    Jade’s eyes widened at that, then even more as the rest of the family agreed. O’Reilly’s was a restaurant in town that was equipped with a bar. It was run by Shifters, and was also the favored nice restaurant by most Shifters in Lawrence.

    “Are you sure?” she squeaked, voice quiet.

    “Very. It’s nonoptional,” John informed her sternly. “Big moments require celebrations.”

    She didn’t argue, but mostly because of the reminder. While there hadn’t been a huge party directly after their actual mating, apparently directly after graduation they would be subject to a mating ceremony with all the trappings. She wasn’t looking forward to it overmuch, but at least they were taking her opinions into account. Though considering this meant everything from napkins to cake to a guest list that made her head swim she found herself wondering if this was a good thing. Apparently Dean wasn’t thrilled about the big to-do either, but it was obligatory when you were this high up in such an important pack. At least they had a say in the guest list, which had been capped at two hundred, and they could get away directly after for a honeymoon. That last part she was _really_ looking forward to.

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    “Relax,” Dean protested. “You’ll be fine.”

    Jade eyed the house they’d just pulled up to. It was surrounded by a scrapyard, which was apparently Bobby’s hobby when he wasn’t running his branch of the Winchester-Campbell pack. The house surrounded by it all was home to Bobby, his mate Ellen, and Jo. She’d heard a great deal about all three, but she was still nervous about meeting them. It was one of the reasons she’d driven up with Dean, Sam, and Adam for spring break. It sounded like this had been their plan anyway, but now they had an ulterior motive.

    Adam leaned forward from the front seat, arms folded on its back. “Are you seriously worried about meeting _Bobby?”_

    She turned, glaring at the younger Alpha. “I’d like to see you being all relaxed when you meet people who are essentially in-laws for the first time.”

    “So?” Sam asked, also in the backseat.

    Dean snorted, opening his door. “You don’t count.”

    “Why not?”

    “Because you’re never going to meet Gabriel’s family if we can help it.”

    Sam made a choking sound. “I am _not_ mating him. Forget it.”

    Jade and Dean exchanged a knowing look. In recent time she’d gotten plenty of opportunity to see just what Meg had told her about. Sam did have other friends his own age, some good some bad, but he was closest to Gabriel. They were practically joined at the hip most days, for all they bickered almost constantly, the Omega a cheerful ball of sugary energy when compared to his more serious, studious counterpart. It was sweet, really, and Jade agreed with her mate. Sam was already essentially a brother to Cas and Meg. Gabriel’s parents had died shortly after he was born, which was why he and Cas had been left in Michael’s care, and what remained of their estranged family wanted nothing to do with him. Ergo Sam had nothing to say about her current predicament that Jade wanted to hear.

    She hung back, behind Dean, as they climbed the steps to the Singer’s front porch. He only knocked briefly before opening it himself, calling, “Bobby? Ellen? You home?”

    There was a thunder of feet on the stairs, and a moment later someone came around the corner and threw their arms around the elder Alpha. Dean laughed, hugging her back before setting her on her feet again. “Hey, Jo.”

    “What took you guys?” she asked, bouncing over to hug Sam next.

    “We let her drive part of the way.”

    “Who?” she asked, looking about, one arm around Adam’s shoulders.

    Dean sidestepped, and Jade made a mental note to make him pay for that later as he put her into plain view. “Um, hi,” she managed weakly, lifting a hand.

    “Jade, right?”

    “Yep,” Dean said proudly, clapping her on the shoulder.

    Jo looked her up and down, face critical, before her bright smile returned. Jade had just enough time to stiffen before she too was glomped by the blond Omega. “Oh,” she managed, hugging her back.

    “It’s about time you came up here,” she chided, pulling back to hold her at arm’s length. “So, how do you like the pack?”

    “Good, great, everyone’s…welcoming.”

    Jo arched an eyebrow at her. “Tell me you didn’t mate this guy thinking it would be all candy and strippers.”

    Ignoring Dean’s, “Hey!”, Jade stifled a snort. “You’re kidding, right? I would love very much for it to be all candy and strippers. But I didn’t mate into that, I mated into whatever all this is.”

    The younger Omega nodded in approval, then offered Jade an arm. As she took it, Jo stated, “I think you’ll get along fine. Come on, Mom and Bobby are out back. You’re just in time for dinner.”

    Jade found herself led out onto a back porch, which was home to a large grill. A bearded man in a trucker’s cap was flipping an assortment of burgers, steaks, and sausages. A brunet female was taking corn on the cob off one of the higher sections, turning as they came out the back door. A smile of recognition quirked her lips, and she set down the plate and tongs she held.

    “Hey, guys. Just in time, as usual.”

    This time Jade didn’t get the chance to hang back. She found herself thrust directly into Ellen’s path, Jo announcing, “This is her.”

    The elder Omega looked her up and down, a bemused quirk to her mouth. “I gathered, unless they picked up a stray sister along the way. Hi, I’m Ellen,” she said, offering her a hand, which Jade grasped. “Welcome to the family. Nice to know this bunch hasn’t driven you off yet.”

    She moved on to embrace the brothers behind her, Bobby setting aside his tongs and closing the grills before facing them. “You boys must have a better sense of smell than we gave you credit for.” Gaze falling on Jade, he stepped over and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Jade.”

    “You too.” His hand was callused, warm, his grip firm.

    Dean came forward after Bobby squeezed her shoulder, the two Alphas thumping each other on the back, the elder’s hand briefly clasping the side of his neck. Even as her mate stepped back, one arm slipping around her waist, it occurred to Jade the interactions she was seeing were nearly identical to what she would see between a parent and pup. For both Bobby and Ellen. The little touches, the looks, the interactions, it was like they’d come home to a different family, but one loved no less or more than their biological one.

    “Go unload the car, then wash up for dinner,” Ellen said at last.

    Initially Jade had thought it overkill, spending virtually the entirety of their spring break in South Dakota. Now that she’d seen them together, it seemed to be a little less so. Simply put, they’d missed their family. It didn’t take her long to understand why, either. The Singer’s accepted her as the Winchester’s had, making her feel as though she belonged, treating her as their own. Even Jo, who according to Sam had once harbored a strong crush on Dean. Apparently that was long since forgotten, in favor of a rather erratic childhood friend who was already well on his way to getting kicked out of M.I.T.

    She did get the chance to meet Ash, on the second day of their stay. He offered to hack a few credit scores from Pack Chen on her behalf, which she politely declined. Honestly she was surprised the guy was an Alpha, if one who’d was getting expelled from a prestigious college by seventeen. Jo was still a junior, but her boyfriend had graduated early and was already making something of a name for himself. Trouble aside, Jade got the sense they hadn’t mated yet because they were waiting for Jo to graduate, not because of any disapproval on her parent’s part. Not only was Ash currently sleeping on a foldout couch in their basement, but he was earning his keep. He wouldn’t say exactly what he did, but no small amount of computer skills were being used to complete odd jobs for clients with deep pockets.

    While Jade was staying on a bed with Dean, one night Jo kidnapped her for her first slumber party. They stayed up most of the night, watching some B-rated horror movies, eating popcorn and pizza and chocolate chip cookies, talking, and just generally goofing off. It was wonderful, even if she did need a nap the next day.

    She was awoken from said nap by warm lips brushing over her lids, her temples, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, her lips, her chin. Without opening her eyes, Jade grumbled but rolled towards him on the small twin bed, nuzzling against a familiar chest. They hadn’t gotten the chance to do much since leaving home, which had started getting to her. She felt a little spoiled, but she couldn’t help it. In such a short period of time, Jade had gone from being convinced she was a far cry from desirable to having a mate who couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her.

    One hand rubbed her back, but the other was worming its way under her shorts. Jade made a sound of protest, automatically looking across the room, but the set of bunkbeds against the opposite wall were empty. Smiling lips pressed to her ear, the hand that had gotten under her pants kneading the flesh of her ass.

    “They’re gone, so’s Bobby and Ellen,” her mate murmured, undoing her shorts with practiced ease.

    “Jo?”

    “Basement with Ash. I think they’re too busy to hear us.”

    Jade considered this, something made difficult as her mate began working her jean shorts down her thighs, bit by bit. She’d been surprised how everything had been affected by her weight gain. Her elbows and knees weren’t so knobby, her limbs filled out with both more muscle and fat, which she’d expected and enjoyed. Her shoulders, ribs, and shoulder blades had seen similar changes, her face filling out a little more, providing a pleasant surprise. Her stomach was still mostly flat, no longer concave, but while she worried a little about it her mate seemed to greatly enjoy her new tummy. She actually had a butt now, too, and curves, real curves. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that she’d nearly gone up a cup size. It still varied a bit, like jean sizes and the like, but still. All through it, she not only remained beautiful in her mate’s eyes, she got the feeling both he and his wolf liked this new, healthier version of her. The combination of a good diet and actual exercise had done her wonders, working faster on her Shifter metabolism than even a human’s. Her wolf was even more aware of this than she was, and was very proud of it. The canine was just as approving of the fact that these changes didn’t go unnoticed by their mate. Jade wouldn’t have minded, but the beast had begun nagging her for the first time about a thing she’d least expected from the creature. Though once she thought about it from an instinctive perspective it _did_ make sense. Human or animal, the healthier you were the more fertile you were, the better your chances of whelping a pup. They’d discussed it, they were having too much sex not to, but they’d agreed that regardless it would wait for now. It would be revisited after graduation, at the soonest. Granted the idea of having a pup of her own was daunting, stomach churning, but it didn’t fill her with terrified dread like it used to. If having a pup of her own, with Dean, would be like what she’d seen in his pack, like what she’d seen with Claire…it was bearable. More than bearable, if she was being honest, but not something she wanted right away. Part of why she was currently on the strongest birth control and heat suppressants the doctor was willing to give her. Likely if she found out she was pupped next week she’d have a heart attack, but maybe in a year or two it would be embraced.

    In the meantime, she was very much enjoying being intimate with her mate. She peeled her shirt over her head as Dean tugged down her favorite pair of soft red panties trimmed in black lace. He rose up on his knees, shucking his own shirt before dropping back down over her, dipping down to kiss her slowly. Her fingers ran up into his hair, holding him close, kissing him back as she hooked a leg over his waist, nudging at the band of his jeans with her heel.

    “Thought you forgot condoms,” Jade murmured into his ear, catching the shell of it between her teeth.

    A shiver ran through her mate as he groaned, rasping, “Your call, babe.”

    Jade’s right hand trailed down his bare torso, undoing his jeans with practiced ease. “Still want you to fuck me. Want you inside me.”

    “As you wish.”

    A smile curled her lips as he pulled away to shuck the last of his own clothes, and she leaned over the bed’s edge to fish some lotion out of her bag. A few weeks ago there had been a movie night involving ‘The Princess Bride’, and she finally understood that reference. She’d also noticed Dean saying it more often now that she did. It came easier and far more regularly than “I love you” ever did, even from her. They’d made more than one person groan by saying it as much as they did.

    He took his time, as he always did when he intended to take her from behind. Using a liberal amount of lotion and slick, preparing her, sharing breathless kisses as fingers curled and stretched. Jade wrapped both arms around his shoulders, turning her face into his neck as he sat up, putting his back to the wall and settling her on his lap. She knelt on either side of his hips, rocking her own in time to his fingers as a forth began to work her, tilting her head to kiss him long and deep.

    They’d parted, panting, when he murmured, “Ready, Angel?”

    “Please,” she whimpered, sucking at his mate mark.

    Dean withdrew his fingers, hands settling on her hips. Jade mewled as she sank down on him, taking him slowly but surely. It always seemed to hit more spots when she was taken upright like this, in either her vagina or her ass. Her breasts were pressed to his chest, the friction on her nipples as she rocked up and down on his cock making her whimper.

    “On gods,” she whispered, panting against his neck as he helped her move up and down. “Yeah, Dean, feel so good inside me, mate.”

    A guttural groan rasped in his throat, his grip on her tightening. “Jade…yeah, yeah, so fucking tight, fucking good, Angel. Wanna cum inside you, mate, mark you as mine.”

    “Al-Already marked,” Jade reminded him between panting whimpers as he picked up his rhythm.

    “Mark you fresh,” he growled, lightly biting the base of her neck opposite his mate mark.

    “They’ll know.” It was meant to be a protest, but it didn’t sound like much of one even in her own ears.

    Rather that debate further, his head moved down, and Jade’s head fell back as he flicked his tongue over one pebbled nipple, wrapping his lips around it and applying just enough heat and pressure to make her moan. It was followed by a hitching sound as the pad of one thumb brushed her clit, coming back to slowly stroke it, adding the extra fire to the already roaring flames in her groin. Sometimes she worried, wondering how he could get off when his full attention seemed to be focused on her. But he never failed to cum when they were like this, bodies intertwined, seeming to get his own pleasure at touching and tasting her.

    _“Fuck,”_ she whimpered, fingers digging into his hair and shoulder. “Dean, Dean please, oh gods yeah…don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop…gonna cum, Alpha, gonna make me cum.”

    She was answered with a punishing kiss, followed by an equally punishing pace that had her whimpering and gasping wantonly. The Omega bit her lip, smothering a cry as she came hard. As was often the case, her inner contractions drove her mate over the edge, his pace shuttering for all he only stopped when they were both finished.

    Jade giggled as they toppled sideways, careful to keep him inside her as they lay together, both panting and sheening with sweat. Her lids fluttered as a hand stroked her hair, one finger of hers tracing a line of freckles down his side. After a moment he rolled gently, putting himself on top of her, earning a happy croon and tender kiss from his mate. Despite the fact his routine meant they didn’t often get to make love at night, this was still her favorite sleeping position. As physically connected with her mate as possible, his weight and heat atop her. For what it was worth, he seemed to enjoy it too.

    “Think they heard us?” she mumbled at last.

    “Doubt it,” her mate grumbled back, burying his face in her long hair. “Wake me when it’s dinner time.”

    Jade snorted, but absently reached up to stroke his hair, letting him doze in peace. She was hardly going to pass up more time like this, with him. Besides, he didn’t often get to nap, and the extra rest would do him good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shì - Yes


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Vh1015, Karategrl80, HenriaSownbinder, and littleauror!  
> AN: It was a thought in my head already, but it’s been brought to my attention that numerous people seem to be enjoying this fic and mourn its end. Accordingly, I’m considering a sequel. It probably won’t happen for a while, I need to step away from this AU for a bit and plan on wrapping up some of my unfinished fics, posted or otherwise.   
> Should you like a sequel to this fic, or have requests as to what it should include, please comment and let me know!  
> Karategrl80: I don’t negotiate with terrorists, but as I said, it was already a thought, I just wanted to see how this story was received. *Gives chase.* Now give it back!

    Jade was _really_ glad she’d heeded Mary’s warning. She understood the logic of having the graduation ceremony in the football field, there was more space for everyone and it was indeed a lovely day. But while the sun was bright overhead in a cloudless sky, it had been raining for nearly two full days prior, and the grass was soggy, looking to suck at any foot put down. Twice now she’d seen someone wearing heels fall down, a third time they’d taken someone with them. Jade wasn’t overly fond of heels herself, for all it meant less neck-craning on her part around her mate, but she’d deliberately put on flats this morning. They went well with her dress, for all you couldn’t see it. It wasn’t visible under the ankle-length robe and red scarf she wore, but it was a knee length affair with a flowing, handkerchief style skirt of crimson fabric and a halter top, a narrow gold buckled belt around her waist, her long hair pulled back in a French braid.

    Dean was just wearing black slacks and white dress shirt under his robe, like most of the males who were walking today. Not a month after Jade had mated him she’d set out to legally change her name, so they were sitting right next to each other. As far as the school was concerned, and the DMV, and everyone else, she was officially Jade Winchester. Or Winchester Li Jing, if the occasion called for it. She’d kept that version of her name, just as _Nai-Nai_ kept the heirlooms and such from China. It was only her family Jade wanted to rid herself of, not her culture.

    The principle had already gotten up to talk, the Valedictorian had already given their speech, now they just waited for their turn to be called up. The M’s were in line now, waiting to be called so they could walk across the stage to shake hands and accept their diploma.

    “Megan Masters,” the principle was intoning.

    Jade whooped, earning a surprised if pleased glance from Dean as they both applauded enthusiastically. She distantly heard a “Go Mama!” from the bleachers where family and friends were seated. A “Go Papa!” had been shouted at Cas’s walk across the stage a few moments before. Meg strode across the stage, accepting the rolled-up piece of paper that was the stand-in for diplomas they’d already gotten in the mail, shook the principle’s hand, and went to rejoin the others going back to their seats. Cas waited for her at the stage’s end, and they returned to their seats arm in arm. Shortly after the W’s, and the remainder of the alphabet, were signaled to join the line at the stage’s side. By then a total of six people had been felled due to heels, and Jade was very careful as she minced through wet grass. She might be in flats, but she was clumsy enough she might still fall.

    Jade’s heart pounded against her ribs, shuffling her feet forward bit by bit as the principle worked his way through Taylor and Timms, excitement making her giddy. Dean had encouraged her to try for Valedictorian, but she’d chosen not to. She’d still graduated third in her class. Funny, without her family looming over her, her grades had actually gone up, even in chemistry. She could have managed it, but had let her band grade keep it from happening, gladly handing that honor to Cas. The Alpha hadn’t wanted it either, apparently no more excited than her about the idea of giving a speech, but Meg had told him to suck it up buttercup and threatened him with the couch if he intentionally flunked out. He’d settled for letting things slip just enough to make him second in the class, cheerfully passing the honor to Kevin. The Omega hadn’t liked knowing he only had it because they hadn’t wanted it, but had embraced it with far more enthusiasm than they had. His mother was certainly very proud.

    After what felt like an age, the principle finally announced, “Dean Winchester.”

    Jade gave his hand a squeeze as he climbed the short steps to the stage, striding across it. A solid section of the crowd went wild, just as it had for his other packmates. He had reached the other side when her name followed, making her start for all it filled her with tingling pleasure.

    “Jade Winchester.”

    Another wave of cheering, whooping, and applauding rose up as she stepped across the stage on legs that felt oddly jelly-like, shaking a hand, taking what was put into her palms. She half stumbled down the steps on the other side, only to be swept up and spun in a circle by her mate. Her very proud, practically glowing mate.

    She’d done it. She’d not only finished high school, she’d done it third in her class and been able to walk. None of which she’d thought possible a year ago. Had it really been less than a year?

    They were among the last to return to their seats, after which the principle declared, “Congratulations to you, class of 2019!”

    The entire crowd, students and all, roared their approval. It had taken five bobby pins to keep her hat down, so Jade settled for turning her tousle to the left and clapping as Dean joined those in flinging his own hat into the air. She watched all the hats fly skyward, spinning and twirling, then descend in mass, unable to stop smiling.

    As they began to disperse, making their way towards the parking lot and meeting up with family, Dean put an arm around her shoulders, bending to murmur, “Happy birthday, Angel. You did it.”

    She turned, leaning up a bit on her toes to kiss his cheek. Whether he knew it or not, he and his pack had given her the best birthday present she could dream of. And then some.

 

**BREAK/BREAK\BREAK**

 

    Jade twitched slightly when someone knocked on the door, turning to look over as Kevin stuck his head in, a hand over his eyes. “Can I come in?”

    Meg snorted. “Nice. Get in here.”

    He dropped his hand, grinning as he opened his eyes and coming inside, closing the door behind himself. “Wow. You’re beautiful.”

    “Don’t,” Charlie protested, looking exasperated as Jade’s cheeks flushed pink. “We just got her calmed down.”

    “Sorry,” he grumbled, hands in his pockets as he leaned back against the wall. “Everyone about ready?”

    “Jade?” Mary asked, catching her eye.

    Jade took a deep breath, turning to look back into the floor-length mirror before her. She’d always balked at a wedding dress, even when she’d been related to people who ran a shop that sold them. It had always struck her as wasteful, spending so much on such an extravagant thing you would only wear once, but they’d insisted. She got to choose, but apparently a dress was tradition. She’d eventually settled on a floor-length affair with a gauzy skirt that flowed down from her waist, the bodice beaded and snug with a neckline that was modest for all it did allow her cleavage to peek out a little. Wide straps went over her shoulders, a thin veil anchored in her hair with a dainty crown was currently pulled back, exposing her face so they could do the finishing touches for her makeup. Lipstick a warm shade of red, eyeliner sharp enough to stab a person, beautifully blended shadow to give her eyes extra depth, a tasteful amount of concealer, and a half dozen other things. At some point she’d stopped paying attention to what all they were putting on her face. Her hair had been braided and coiled, white and red roses tucked into the black tresses.

    Honestly? Jade had trouble believing this was _her,_ the person staring back at her from the mirror. This person was gorgeous and elegant and graceful, and about to walk down the aisle for a mating ceremony to a very handsome Alpha. Dean was absolutely drool-worthy in a tux, though he’d stared at her with something that seemed oddly like wonder in his eyes when he’d first seen her. In recent time that ‘seeing the bride before the wedding is bad luck’ business had been eschewed by Shifters, something she and Dean had readily agreed to do. They’d already done pictures, she’d had plenty of time to take in all the tux-clad eye candy. The idea was to do them before the ceremony, so they could go straight from the ceremony to the reception and not make anybody wait on food. It was very unwise to stand between hungry Shifters and a meal.

    The only reason she was in the back room of the chapel they were having the actual ceremony in was to take a breath and let her friends fuss over her a little. The only ones allowed in, anyway. Mary was her matron of honor, Meg, Tessa, Anna, Charlie, and Jo were her bridesmaids. Kevin, at her request, was to be the one to walk her down the aisle. A brother in place of a nonexistent father. John was Dean’s best man, Sam, Adam, Cas, Benny, and Ash his groomsmen.

    If Kevin was coming back to see her, then everyone was in place. Dean would be waiting for her. No more stalling, then. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, this was just the equivalent of a public, formal announcement. They were already mated, they already lived together under one roof, her name was already changed. They’d even gone house hunting together at Kansas State, which had offered Dean a boxing scholarship. They also had a wide variety of online classes that had caught her eye.

    Jade took a deep breath, turning to look at Mary. “Ready.”

    Her mother-in-law left first, followed by her bridesmaids. Jade peeked out in time to see them take the arms of Dean’s groomsmen, going down the aisle in pairs. Claire stood by, giddy with glee at the splendor of it all, tightly gripping the cushion with two rings. A crown of white roses with the thorns carefully cut away was atop her head, matching her shinny white shoes, gauzy white skirt, and pure white button-down shirt from the boy’s department. She’d refused to wear a dress, so this had been their compromise. She waited until the others had all gone, then marched after them, head high, as proud as a pup could be.

    When the bridal march began, Jade took Kevin’s arm and stepped into the aisle. Everyone had stood, Garth’s fingers playing a beautiful revision of the bridal march on the piano as she made her way between packed pews. She didn’t look at them, the last thing she needed was one last push to send her over the edge and fleeing the building. This also meant her eyes were locked with Dean’s, her chest going tight in a not-unpleasant fashion. He wasn’t looking at the crowd, at the flowers, at the bouncing Claire, or at anything else. He was looking right at her, and that happy wonderment was back on his face.

    Suddenly Jade found herself fighting the urge to abandon Kevin and sprint the rest of the way. Screw tradition, screw propriety, just hurry it up and make it official so she could kiss that smiling, beautiful, goofy Alpha that was hers. But she couldn’t do that to Kevin, so she held her peace and maintained a stately pace instead, however reluctantly.

    As she was given away to her mate, Jade realized with a start that his eyes were damp. Hers were too, but she couldn’t believe Dean was getting misty eyed too. It just made her want to kiss him even more.

    They hadn’t written vows, there was just a brief speech from the officiate, then Claire was prompted forward to offer the pillow with their rings. They’d taken great care when choosing them, simple bands without much gaudy adornment. Jade had liked the look of even simpler silver bands, but being Shifters made that a non-option. In the end they’d chosen black tungsten rather than gold, with some personal touches. Hers had an elegant, Chinese-styled dragon etched into its outer surface, tail and mouth meeting on either side of the Winchester-Campbell family crest. A six-pointed Altaian star at the center of rippling points of fire, the combination star and sun crests from both their original packs. The inside was etched with the name ‘Angel’, followed by the date of their original mating. Dean’s had the same date, and the characters ‘心爱’. Spoken they sounded like Xīn'ài, which translated to ‘Beloved’. The exterior held a different dragon, less elegant and with harder edges, tail and mouth meeting on either side of the same crest. They were beautiful and perfect for them and Jade loved them, simply because she and Dean had chosen them, created them, together.

    After they wore their rings there came questions to which they were prompted to say, “I do.” As this was a mating ceremony and not a wedding there were more of them, nearly a dozen, and they seemed to drag on for an age before the officiate finally said those five magical words. “You may kiss the bride.”

    Dean didn’t bend down to her, he didn’t have time to. Jade jumped so she could throw both arms around his neck and kissed him, still grasping her bouquet of white and red roses, the gathering behind them giving a standing ovation. Sadly she did feel compelled to keep it brief, pulling away to meet a face full of joy and damp eyes that matched her own. Neither said anything, they didn’t have to. Instead they turned, hand in hand, to face the crowd. He didn’t let go of her until he had to, not that she wanted him to.

    They drove halfway across town to the community center, where the reception was being held. Still in her dress, Jade ate, drank, and made merry with everyone else, seated happily at her mate’s side. The food was delicious, beer and whisky flowed freely, and the music made even the most reluctant foot tap.

    When it came time to cut the cake, Jade was pleased to see Dean’s reaction to her surprise. He tolerated cake more than he liked it, and when asked what he wanted for the groom cake he’d left it to her. Jade had told him she’d selected chocolate with moose frosting. What was brought out, and finally brought to Dean’s attention, was hardly that. The bride’s cake was what she’d told him it was, a tower affair of chocolate cake with caramel moose filling and white buttercream icing. Its accompaniment was an assortment of large pies arranged on a holder that made them form a pyramid-style tower that was actually taller than her own cake. There was blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, pecan, chocolate pecan, apple, cherry, key lime, banana cream, coconut cream, buttermilk, lemon meringue, rhubarb, goober, and chocolate cream offerings, all with little labels. Since she knew Dean didn’t have a favorite, simply because he could never choose, Jade had taken what there was after you took away things like shepherd’s pie and quiche, then holiday flavors like pumpkin, and had the bakery make everything else. She’d tasted enough of their work to be sure they would do them justice.

    Dean’s mouth fell open in shock as he gaped at what they were bringing out. Then shock turned to wonder. He started bouncing in his seat like an eager pup, then abruptly turned to hug Jade so tight her ribs groaned.

    “Thank you, my gorgeous, awesome mate.” His voice actually broke as he whispered the words into her shoulder. Jade smiled so wide her cheeks ached, patting his back, mouthing “He’s okay” to a few worried onlookers.

    Eventually Dean did let go of her so they could cut the cake, and the topmost pie. She daintily forked a bite of buttermilk pie into Dean’s mouth, and he did make an effort to get the whole bite of cake into hers, but there was still a streak of icing at the corner of her mouth as their guests laughed and clapped. Jade was content with a slice of cake and a modest helping of the rhubarb pie. Dean, however, set out on a mission to have some of every single one of the fifteen pies. She had worried he might take this approach, so she was more resigned than surprised.

    At least he was smart enough to take a smaller helping from each, leaving some for the guests and room in his belly for more. Even so, he easily went through a whole pie’s worth by the time he was done, sitting back with a groan. Jade stared at him, half exasperated, half amused.

    “Are you done?” she asked, lips twitching in amusement. Motioning to the cake, which was down to its last tier, she asked, “Or would you like a slice of that, too?”

    Dean groaned, shaking his head. “I’m good. I’m done.”

    “Where did you put it all?” she asked, trying not to laugh at her overfull mate. He’d had no less than three helpings of food before this. Shifter or not, she had no idea where it was going.

    “Didn’t eat much earlier,” he admitted in a low voice, smiling sheepishly. “Too nervous. I was starving. I would have held off if I’d known there was pie.”

    “I wanted to surprise you,” she said, touched. She’d been picking at her food for the last two days, but hadn’t been aware nerves had also plagued her mate.

    He gave her a somewhat loopy smile. “You did. You’re awesome, you know that?”

    “It helps that you keep reminding me.”

    Despite acting overfull, within half an hour Dean was letting himself be dragged out onto the dance floor by his brothers. Shortly after Jade was pulled out with them, laughing as Sam dragged her into the ChaCha Slide. Most of the people out there with them seemed to recognize the songs played, but Jade only recognized them from school dances, which she’d only attended as a ticket seller. She’d never joined in before. It was more fun than she’d anticipated. Both she and Dean had chosen what songs would be played, so overall it was a mix of rock and country, but there were some in there like this. Fun, recognizable, easy to dance to.

    Things slowed down about the time the alcohol ran dry, which was just as well. Jade was getting tired and they would need to get going before too long. In four days they needed to be in Seattle, after all, and from there they would catch a train to Vancouver. Jade had never been on a cruise before, never even considered it as possibility before. But on a cruise they would go, on a line that catered to Shifters, with plenty of stops to let them stretch their legs and enjoy the scenery. She’d never considered going to Canada or Alaska anymore than she’d considered a cruise, but they were going. For a whole week, more if you counted the travel. Apparently short of an emergency or some serious talking around Dean had no intentions of setting foot on another plane.

    Suitcases were already packed in Baby’s trunk, her tank was full, and they had hotel reservations in Topeka, the next city over. All they had to do was get in and go. So when the time came they just ducked into a bathroom, changing into something more casual. But not before making the obligatory tosses. Someone pulled a chair over to the dance floor’s edge for her to perch on while Dean got down on one knee to take off her garter. She’d planned on working it down her leg but forgotten about it, so the thing was still more than halfway up her thigh. Her mouth fell open as Dean ducked under her skirt, only emerging a moment later with the band of elastic and lace between his teeth. At least this was taken well by their guests, laughter being the general reaction instead of scandal, but she still felt compelled to whack him with her bouquet before he tossed it. A surprised looking Garth caught it, and Jade couldn’t help but laugh as Beth threw both arms in the air and whooped. She was the local reverend’s daughter, and his girlfriend of five months. Jade stood, shook out her skirt, then turned her back to them and flinging her bouquet skyward. She turned in time to see Samandriel catch it, baby blues going wide as he stared first at it, then at his plus-one. Jade approved of Gadreel, for all they’d only gotten a face today and a name on the R.S.V.P. The bear Shifter only smiled down at him, dark eyes twinkling.

    Obligations seen to, Jade and Dean retreated to the backrooms to change. Jade handed off her dress to Linda, who was fussing even more than _Nai-Nai,_ making sure nothing important like toothbrushes or underwear hadn’t been missed in their packing. She pulled on shorts and a blouse, stepping out about the same time Dean was emerging across the hall. She found herself a little disappointed, seeing him back in his own everyday wear. That tux had been very becoming.

    “Ready?” he asked, offering her a hand as they made their way to double doors leading outside.

    “Been ready,” she affirmed, grasping his hand as they pushed out into the twilight.

    Jade ducked her head under the barrage of birdseed as they were pelted with it from all sides. Someone, she suspected one of her mate’s brothers, managed to land a ball of the stuff on the back of her neck so a lot of it went down her shirt. Dean yanked open Baby’s driver side door, pushing her inside and climbing in after her as she scrambled to scoot across, laughing. There had been a lot of ammunition left over apparently, because the barrage over the Impala continued even after the door was shut and her motor started. She turned to wave as Dean pulled away, one leg tucked up under her, bouncing giddily as they pulled out onto the main road.

    “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Dean cajoled as he headed west.

    “I never said it was going to be bad,” Jade protested.

    “You were worried, admit it.”

    “Well yeah, but can you blame me?”

    “Okay, yeah, but you had me and how many other people telling you otherwise?”

    “Alright, so I miscalculated just how big a difference having a mating ceremony to someone I want to be mated to and having a say in things could make.” A beat later she added, “Thanks for not saying ‘I told you so’ outright.”

    “You’re welcome.”

    Jade felt around the back of her head, to see if the flowers were still in place. She’d taken great care to ensure they stayed in put. But one was coming loose, and she delicately plucked it out of its teetering place in her braids. She settled back in Baby’s front seat, stroking the petals, taking a deep breath of its sweet scent.

    “You need to stop doing that.”

    She looked up from the flower, fingers curling, eyebrows raised. Dean was glancing towards her, an almost pained look on his face. “What?”

_“That.”_

    “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

    “Looking beautiful and dainty and fuckable.”

    Jade considered this, taking in her position and just what she was doing. Her left leg was still tucked up, her shorts ridding up a bit, her dark purple blouse left her arms mostly bare, but the low neckline had laces crisscrossing it, and she’d synched them enough to provide more modesty. Subtle, but now that she thought about it her outfit could be teasing for someone who knew exactly what lay beneath. Particularly if that someone still seemed incapable of going more than a week without being intimate with her.

    After a moment’s consideration Jade shifted her weight, hitching her legs a little farther apart, loosening the laces on her shirt just enough for her plain flesh-colored bra peek out. She’d worn it so it couldn’t be seen through her white dress, but now it made a good contrast to her amethyst shirt. “Is this better?” she asked innocently.

    Her Alpha groaned. “It’s not and you know it.”

    “What are you going to do about it?”

    That earned her a low growl.

    Jade shrugged, turning her attention back to the road ahead. “I guess you’re just going to have to wait.” Fishing out her phone, she plugged the address into a GPS app and announced, “The hotel is about twenty-five miles away, which if you continue to avoid interstates means thirty-six minutes.”

    She was switching over to the mail app, double checking their check-in time, when an unsteady rumble under the wheels made her look up again. Dean was pulling off asphalt, onto a dirt road she had never been down before. “Where are you going?”

    Dean didn’t answer right away, turning a gradual bend and stopping at a rusted-out gate. As far as Jade could tell there wasn’t anything beyond it, they were sitting in a pocket of cleared area that led to nothing. She’d heard of a few building projects that fell through around town, but she’d never seen them. She was turning to ask Dean just what they were doing here only to get tackled to the seat, her mouth assaulted by a growling Alpha.

    She dropped the rose in favor of grabbing him, squeaking against his mouth for all she did kiss him back. When he pulled away she gasped, “Seriously? Wait an hour and we could do this in a bed.”

    “We can do that too,” he murmured against her neck, teeth raking over her mate mark.

    “Too?” the Omega repeated incredulously.

    “Thought you wanted to try out her backseat.”

    Well, he wasn’t wrong. That had been one of the only places they _hadn’t_ tried out at this point, actually. “Then get me into the backseat.”

    After one more hungry kiss, Dean withdrew to pull her upright again, drawing her out of the front seat and into the back. A long towel was briskly laid down, and she took the chance to carefully remove her top. She knew her hair would likely be ruined anyway, but it would be nice if some of it survived.

    The moment she was on the backseat Dean was on her, hands tugging impatiently at their clothes. Her fingers ran over heated skin, shoving his shirt up his torso, yanking open his pants and palming his swelling cock. Her bra was undone and cast aside, cotton panties she’d worn for just this purpose ripped from her hips before joining it on the floor. Just before his jeans and boxers joined them, he snagged something from a pocket, a familiar square that he was never without these days. Neither was she, if she was being honest. Just in case.

    He had just shucked his undershirt, and she was reaching up to grab his shoulders, when he straightened up, pulling her with him. Jade smiled, pleased as he shifted onto his back, her hands bracing on his chest. It wasn’t in an Alpha’s nature to simply give up control easily, especially this Alpha, and for all she knew he had his own reasons for liking his position she very much enjoyed it.

    She plucked the condom from its packet as he ripped it open, scooting down to perch on his legs and carefully, tauntingly, rolling it down over his cock. Though not before slowly licking precum off the tip, making him moan. She took her time, placing two kisses down its length as she rolled the condom down before moving back over him again.

    “Next time I’m just bending you over the hood,” he groaned.

    “Is that a promise?” she purred.

    “Damn straight, babe.”

    Splaying one hand over his chest, she rocked herself forward a little, free hand wrapping around his cock and lining him up. She was about to lower herself down when hands clamped down on her hips, slamming her down, making them both gasp and moan loudly. It was nice when she didn’t have to bite her tongue in these moments, when she could make all the noise she wanted.

    “Dean,” she whimpered, staring down at him as she was lifted and brought back down a second time. Her black ring stood out against golden brown fingers splayed over a lightly tanned and freckled chest. It was the first time she’d worn it since they’d gotten them. She looked down at his own ring, equally stark on lightly tanned fingers grasping golden brown flesh.

    Those hands paused their work as he rasped, “Jade?”

    “Keep going,” she panted. “Look.” She caught his left hand, moving it from her hip to her breast and tapping the ring.

    A new wave of fresh lust lit his gaze, a possessive growl rumbling under the hand still on his chest. “’M yours.”

    Smiling, Jade put more effort into rocking up and down, flesh smacking against flesh, a near-constant moan in her throat as the head of his cock repeatedly hit her g-spot. She didn’t rush, reveling in the sensation, in his hands on her, in being with Dean. She’d come to appreciate being able to take their time and not always rushing to the end, however enjoyable that might be.

    Jade knew they did just that, but it still seemed like far too soon when Dean rasped, “Gonna make me cum, Angel.”

    Her response was to drop down on him again, rolling her hips in a full circle one way and then the other, grinding him against her g-spot. The hand she’d put over her breast hadn’t left, instead lingering to stroke, tug, and torment. His free hand began to stroke her clit in earnest, dragging her to the edge with him. Her arms shook, fighting to keep a steady rhythm, barely managing it as her mate came with a guttural growl. Seeing him hit his climax below her was the last nudge she needed, tumbling over the edge with him. Both of them gasped anew as she came around him, inner walls pulsing and constricting, milking him through what remained of his orgasm as she had her own.

    Ecstasy was still pulsing through her as Jade’s arms gave out, and she slowly collapsed to lay atop him, head resting just below his chin, both of them left panting and quivering. Jade’s eyes fluttered closed, hands resettling on her hip and back, stroking gently. Had they even managed to get out of town before they were on each other? Oh who cared? Baby’s backseat was long overdue for a proper christening.

    She was wondering if she should move or just let herself doze here, and was leaning towards the latter, when a guitar rift made them both start. Dean hissed as she clamped down around him, one hand fumbling for his discarded jeans. Jade reluctantly pulled off his softened cock, sliding back as he propped himself up on an elbow, scowling at the screen. It wasn’t a specialized ringtone, and Jade didn’t see the caller ID before he answered.

    “Yeah?” There was a pause, and his brow knit as he said, “Yeah, that’s me.” Another pause, and his frown deepened before disappearing altogether, lips twitching in a smile. “No, no that’s fine. No problem. Thanks.”

    “What was that?” she asked as he hung up, tossing the phone aside.

    “That was the hotel.” He sat up, rotating her and pulling her back against him, arms twining around her, lips pressing to the side of her neck. “There was a mix-up. They’re upgrading us to a suit, but it’ll be another hour before it’s ready.”

    Jade hummed thoughtfully, reaching up to absently stroke his hair. “Mmm, what are we going to do for an extra hour?”

    “I can think of a few things,” her mate hummed, slow, tender kisses making their way down her neck and over her shoulder.

    The Omega pouted. “I was hoping for round two to be on a nice bed.”

    “Would you settle for round three?”

    “If you spend an hour on round two I don’t think I’ll have the energy for round three,” she laughed.

    “Challenge accepted.”

    Jade giggled, leaning away from a kiss aiming for her mouth. “It’s not you who’ll be challenged.”

    “It’ll be both of us,” he argued.

    She considered this, then turned to meet his next kiss. “Challenge accepted. But if it doesn’t work you get to carry me inside.”

    “Who’s gonna carry me?”

    Jade’s laugh was cut off in a moan as a hand started stroking her, a mouth descending over hers. They’d never had occasion to experiment in stamina, not outside her heat anyway. This might be interesting. It certainly seemed a good start to their honeymoon. A fitting beginning, a fitting precedent, to the rest of their lives.

 

**THE END**


End file.
